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

Rivers, 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 Rivers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rivers in America

Rivers is the 897th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivers surname appeared 38,662 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Rivers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rivers 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 Rivers

The surname Rivers is an English locational name derived from the Old English word "rifere," meaning a stream or river. It likely originated as a topographical name given to someone who lived near a river or stream. The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "de Riveries" in Lincolnshire.

The earliest known bearer of the surname was William de Riveres, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195. Another early record is that of Robert de la Rivere, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1221.

In the 13th century, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled "Riveir" or "Ryver." One notable Scottish bearer was Sir Alan de Ryver, who was granted lands in Berwickshire in 1268.

During the Middle Ages, the Rivers family held lands in various parts of England, including Northamptonshire, Berkshire, and Devon. One prominent member was Sir Richard Rivers (c. 1390-1469), who served as the Governor of the Isle of Wight and was appointed Lord Scales by King Henry VI.

Another famous bearer of the name was Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c. 1442-1483), who was an English nobleman and supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. He was executed by Richard III after the Battle of Bosworth Field.

In the late 16th century, the Rivers surname was also found in Ireland, where it was sometimes anglicized from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Rabhartaigh" or "O'Raghartaigh." One notable Irish bearer was Thomas Rivers (c. 1560-1637), who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1629.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name continued to be prominent in England, with bearers such as Sir John Rivers (1666-1712), a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire, and Sir Peter Rivers (1718-1788), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War.

Throughout history, the Rivers surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Rivers Farm in Hertfordshire, Rivers Plantation in South Carolina, and the town of Riversville in West Virginia, which was named after the Rivers family who settled there in the early 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rivers

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

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

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

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