2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Riverso
An Italian surname meaning "turned over" or "upside down".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Riverso. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riverso surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Riverso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riverso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riverso
The surname RIVERSO originates from Italy, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the Veneto region, particularly in the areas around the cities of Verona and Vicenza. The name is likely derived from the Italian word "riverso," which means "reversed" or "turned over."
During the Middle Ages, the RIVERSO name appeared in various municipal records and tax rolls in northern Italian cities. One of the earliest known mentions was in a 1276 document from the city of Verona, which referred to a landowner named Pietro RIVERSO. In the 14th century, the name was also found in records from the neighboring city of Vicenza.
The RIVERSO surname may have initially been an occupational name or a descriptive nickname. It could have been given to someone whose profession involved reversing or turning over objects, such as a baker or a potter. Alternatively, it might have been a physical description referring to someone with an unusual or distinctive posture or gait.
In the 15th century, the RIVERSO name appeared in the historical records of the Republic of Venice. A notable figure from this era was Marco RIVERSO, a merchant and trader who lived from 1435 to 1508. He is mentioned in several documents related to maritime trade and commercial transactions in the Mediterranean region.
During the Renaissance period, the RIVERSO family gained prominence in the city of Verona. One of the most notable figures was Girolamo RIVERSO (1490-1567), a renowned architect and sculptor who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in Verona and nearby towns.
Another prominent individual with the RIVERSO surname was Antonio RIVERSO (1620-1692), a Venetian painter known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout northern Italy.
In the 18th century, the RIVERSO name appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Naples, particularly in the city of Naples itself. One notable figure from this period was Giovanni Battista RIVERSO (1735-1803), a philosopher and writer who published several works on ethics and moral philosophy.
As the RIVERSO family spread throughout Italy over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Riversi, Riverzo, and Riverzo. However, the core surname remained largely unchanged, reflecting its enduring Italian roots and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riverso
Among Census respondents with the surname Riverso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Riverso bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Riverso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riverso
Riverso appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+10 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 894 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-15 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,068 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 894 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 10,068 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Riverso surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #156,269 | -6.9% |
| Count | 113 | 98 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riverso bearers went from 113 to 98 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 10,068 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #156,269.
FAQ
Riverso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riverso?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Riverso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Riverso?
Riverso ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 98 people with the surname Riverso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Riverso.
Has Riverso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riverso went from 113 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Riverso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riverso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Riverso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riverso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Riverso (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Riverso mean?
An Italian surname meaning "turned over" or "upside down". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Riverso (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Riverso?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.