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

Rives, 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 Rives surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rives in America

Rives is the 9203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rives surname appeared 3,544 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rives.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rives 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 Rives

The surname Rives is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "rive" meaning "bank" or "shore". It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy, during the Middle Ages.

This surname was likely given to individuals who lived near a river or a coastal area, indicating their proximity to water bodies. It may have also been used as a descriptive name for those who worked near rivers or on the banks, such as fishermen or ferrymen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rives can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Rives" in this important historical document.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Rives was recorded as a witness to a charter granted by King Henry III of England in 1236. This suggests that the Rives family had established themselves in England during the Norman conquest.

During the 14th century, the name Rives appeared in various records and documents across France and England. One example is Jean de Rives, a French nobleman who served as a courtier to King Charles V of France in the late 1300s.

In the 16th century, the surname Rives gained prominence with the birth of Gérard de Rives (1497-1562), a French churchman and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Lavaur and played a significant role in the Council of Trent.

Another notable figure bearing the Rives surname was William Cabell Rives (1793-1868), an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat from Virginia. He served as a U.S. Senator and served as the U.S. Minister to France during the presidency of John Tyler.

In the 19th century, Amelia Rives (1863-1945), an American novelist and playwright, gained fame for her controversial works that challenged societal norms. Her novels, such as "The Quick or the Dead?" and "According to St. John," received both praise and criticism for their daring themes.

One of the most prominent individuals with the Rives surname in recent history was Fanny Rives (1901-1986), an American socialite and fashion icon. She was known for her glamorous lifestyle and her influential role in shaping fashion trends during the 1920s and 1930s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rives

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

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

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

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