Find out how popular the last name Rivera Soto 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 Soto.

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

Popularity of Rivera Soto in America

Rivera Soto is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivera Soto surname appeared 129 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 Soto.

The history of the last name Rivera Soto

The surname RIVERASOTO is a compound Spanish surname that originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from two separate words: "rivera," meaning riverbank or shore, and "soto," meaning a grove or thicket of trees. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a riverbank surrounded by a wooded area.

RIVERASOTO first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. As Spanish armies advanced southward, they established new settlements and granted land to loyal soldiers and nobles. Some of these individuals may have adopted the name RIVERASOTO to reflect the geographic features of their newly acquired properties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RIVERASOTO can be found in the 1284 census rolls of the city of Seville, where a family headed by a man named Juan RIVERASOTO is listed as residing in the San Bartolomé neighborhood. This suggests that the name had already become established in southern Spain by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, the name RIVERASOTO appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, with several individuals bearing this surname being investigated for alleged heretical beliefs or practices. One notable figure was Diego RIVERASOTO, a merchant from Córdoba who was tried and convicted in 1472 for secretly practicing Judaism.

During the Age of Exploration, the RIVERASOTO name spread to the Americas as Spanish conquistadors and settlers established colonies in the New World. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname in the Americas was Hernán RIVERASOTO, a soldier who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.

Other notable individuals with the surname RIVERASOTO throughout history include:

1. Rodrigo RIVERASOTO (c. 1560-1635), a Spanish painter and engraver from Seville known for his religious works.
2. María RIVERASOTO (1628-1697), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Málaga.
3. José RIVERASOTO (1775-1849), a Venezuelan military leader who fought in the wars of independence against Spain.
4. Alejandro RIVERASOTO (1863-1932), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States.
5. Carmen RIVERASOTO (1908-1985), a renowned Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer from Seville.

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

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

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 Soto 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 Soto 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 Soto, please contact us.

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