Find out how popular the last name Rivera Ortiz 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 Ortiz.

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

Popularity of Rivera Ortiz in America

Rivera Ortiz is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivera Ortiz surname appeared 198 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 Ortiz.

The history of the last name Rivera Ortiz

The surname RIVERAORTIZ is a double-barreled Spanish surname that combines the paternal Rivera and maternal Ortiz lineages. Its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

The first element, Rivera, derives from the Spanish word "ribera," meaning "riverbank" or "shore." It was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a river or coastal area. This naming practice was common in medieval Spain, where people were often identified by their occupation, location, or distinctive physical features.

The second element, Ortiz, is a patronymic surname that originated from the given name Orti or Orto, which are Spanish variants of the Latin name Hortus, meaning "garden." Patronymic surnames were widespread in Spain and were formed by adding the suffix "-ez" (from the Latin "-ici") to the father's given name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rivera surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The manuscript mentions a certain Pedro Fernández de Rivera, a nobleman from the region of Extremadura.

In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the Rivera surname played significant roles in the exploration and settlement of the New World. Notable figures include Diego de Rivera, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico, and Fernando de Rivera y Moncada, a Spanish military officer and governor of New Mexico from 1634 to 1636.

The Ortiz surname has a rich history as well. One of the earliest known bearers was Pero Ortiz, a 13th-century Castilian knight who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against the Almohad Caliphate in 1212.

In the realm of art and literature, the RIVERAORTIZ surname is associated with Diego Rivera, a renowned Mexican painter and muralist (1886-1957), known for his vibrant depictions of Mexican culture and history. His wife, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), was also a celebrated Mexican artist renowned for her powerful self-portraits and exploration of identity and personal struggles.

Other notable individuals with the RIVERAORTIZ surname include Juan Rivera Ortiz (1823-1888), a Puerto Rican poet and playwright who played a significant role in the island's literary renaissance of the 19th century, and Amancio Ortiz Rivera (1925-2010), a Mexican architect and engineer responsible for designing numerous iconic buildings in Mexico City.

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

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

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 Ortiz 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 Ortiz 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 Ortiz, please contact us.

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