Find out how popular the last name Rivera Morales 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 Morales.

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

Popularity of Rivera Morales in America

Rivera Morales is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivera Morales surname appeared 188 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 Morales.

The history of the last name Rivera Morales

The surname RIVERAMORALES is a double-barreled Spanish surname originating in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It is a combination of the surnames Rivera and Morales, both of which have distinct origins and meanings.

Rivera is derived from the Spanish word "ribera," meaning "riverbank" or "shore." It was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a river or resided in a riverside location. The name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in areas near significant rivers such as the Ebro, Duero, and Guadalquivir.

Morales, on the other hand, is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Moral, which itself stems from the Latin word "moralis," meaning "moral" or "virtuous." It was a common practice in medieval Spain to adopt surnames based on personal attributes or virtues, and Morales likely referred to someone of high moral character or virtue.

The earliest known record of the combined surname RIVERAMORALES dates back to the late 15th century in the archives of the Spanish city of Seville. One notable bearer of this name was Pedro de RiveraMoreles, a merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century and was involved in the Spanish colonization efforts in the Americas.

Another prominent figure with the surname RIVERAMORALES was Juan de RiveraMoreles, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Spanish-American War of 1898. He was born in 1863 in Málaga, Spain, and served as a captain in the Spanish army during the conflict.

In the 17th century, the surname RIVERAMORALES appeared in various records across Spain, including the archives of the city of Toledo, where Francisco de RiveraMoreles was listed as a landowner and member of the local nobility.

The name also has connections to the Canary Islands, where a family by the name of RiveraMoreles was prominent in the 18th century. One notable member was María de RiveraMoreles, born in 1724 in Las Palmas, who was a renowned poet and writer during the Spanish Enlightenment period.

In the 19th century, the surname RIVERAMORALES was carried to the Americas by Spanish immigrants, where it continued to be used and passed down through generations. One notable bearer was José RiveraMoreles, a Cuban writer and journalist born in Havana in 1856, who was known for his influential works on Cuban culture and identity.

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

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

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 Morales 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.

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 Morales 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 Morales, please contact us.

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