Find out how popular the last name Riveira is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Riveira.

Riveira, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Riveira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riveira in America

Riveira is the 59603rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riveira surname appeared 339 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Riveira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riveira to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Riveira

The surname RIVEIRA is of Spanish origin and has its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Galician region of northwestern Spain, where the name was derived from the word "ribeira," meaning "riverbank" or "shore."

During the Middle Ages, many surnames emerged from geographic locations or topographic features, reflecting the place of residence or origin of families. The RIVEIRA surname likely originated from individuals or families who resided near a river or along the banks of a significant watercourse.

The earliest recorded instances of the RIVEIRA surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in medieval Spanish documents and records. Some of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname include Juan de Riveira, a nobleman from Galicia mentioned in a 1295 census, and Pedro Riveira, a merchant from Santiago de Compostela who was recorded in a trade register from 1342.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the RIVEIRA surname. One prominent figure was Gaspar de Riveira, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas. Another notable bearer of the name was Catalina Riveira (1501-1578), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several charitable institutions in her hometown of Seville.

In the realm of literature, José Riveira (1836-1912) was a renowned Spanish poet and playwright from Galicia, known for his contributions to the Rexurdimento, a literary movement that revived the Galician language and culture.

The RIVEIRA surname also has a connection to various place names in Spain, particularly in Galicia. The town of Ribeira, located in the province of A Coruña, is believed to have derived its name from the same root as the surname, reflecting its proximity to the Ulla River.

Another notable figure bearing the RIVEIRA surname was Manuel Riveira (1889-1976), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of the Interior during the Second Spanish Republic in the 1930s.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Riveira, Ribeira, or Ribera, may exist due to regional dialects and linguistic evolutions over time, but they all stem from the same etymological origin related to rivers or shorelines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riveira

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Riveira.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Riveira was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Riveira has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Riveira was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Riveira, please contact us.

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