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

Rivera Martínez, 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 Rivera Martínez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rivera Martínez in America

Rivera Martínez is the 54418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivera Martínez surname appeared 379 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 Rivera Martínez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rivera Martínez 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 Rivera Martínez

The surname RIVERAMARTINEZ is a compound Spanish surname that originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is composed of two distinct elements: Rivera, which is derived from the Spanish word for "riverbank" or "riverside," and Martinez, a patronymic surname indicating the bearer's paternal lineage and connection to the personal name Martin.

The Rivera portion of the surname likely originated in regions of Spain where settlements or landholdings were situated near rivers or streams. It may have initially referred to a person who lived or worked near a riverbank. Over time, it became an established surname, with various spellings such as Ribera and Riviera appearing in historical records.

The Martinez component of the surname can be traced back to the widespread use of patronymic surnames in medieval Spain. It indicates descent from an ancestor named Martin, which is derived from the Roman name Martinus. Patronymic surnames were commonly adopted to distinguish individuals and families as populations grew and surnames became necessary for identification purposes.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the RIVERAMARTINEZ surname can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías" from the 14th century, a medieval census documenting landholdings and family lineages in the Kingdom of Castile. This record provides insight into the geographic distribution and prevalence of the surname during that period.

Notable historical figures bearing the RIVERAMARTINEZ surname include:

1. Pedro Rivera Martinez (1663-1728), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of New Mexico from 1691 to 1694.
2. Francisca Rivera Martinez (1792-1867), a Spanish poet and playwright who gained recognition for her works challenging societal norms and advocating for women's rights.
3. José Rivera Martinez (1817-1888), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of Jalisco from 1875 to 1879.
4. Miguel Rivera Martinez (1889-1957), a renowned Ecuadorian painter and sculptor known for his contributions to the Indigenist art movement.
5. Carmen Rivera Martinez (1920-2003), a Puerto Rican educator and author who played a significant role in preserving and promoting Puerto Rican literature and culture.

The RIVERAMARTINEZ surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across Spain and Latin America, reflecting the geographic dispersion of families bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rivera Martínez

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

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 Rivera Martínez 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 Rivera Martínez 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 Rivera Martínez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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