Rivet
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rivets, which are metal fasteners used in construction.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,262 Americans carry the last name Rivet. That puts it at #15,127 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,527 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rivet surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.3K
1 in 151,527
Census rank
#15,127
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,949 bearers of the surname Rivet in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15127th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rivet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rivet
The surname Rivet originated in France, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "rivet," which means a metal pin or bolt used to hold pieces of metal together. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a worker who made or used rivets.
The earliest recorded instances of the Rivet surname appear in records from the Normandy region of France in the late 12th century. For example, a man named Radulfus Rivet was mentioned in a charter from the city of Rouen in 1195. The name also appears in other medieval documents from the region, with variations in spelling such as Rivett, Ryvett, and Ryvet.
By the 13th century, the Rivet name had spread to other parts of France, including the regions of Burgundy and Champagne. In 1273, a man named Hugues Rivet was recorded as a resident of the village of Vignory in Champagne.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Rivet surname was Jean Rivet, a French theologian and scholar who lived from 1601 to 1677. He was a prominent figure in the Reformed Church of France and served as a professor of theology at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
Another notable individual with the Rivet surname was André Rivet, a French historian and linguist who lived from 1572 to 1651. He was an expert on the languages and cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and wrote several works on the subject.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Rivet name also appeared in England, likely brought over by French Huguenot immigrants. One of the earliest recorded examples was John Rivet, who was born in England in 1571 and served as a member of parliament during the reign of King James I.
In the 18th century, a French military officer named Jean-François Rivet (1714-1793) gained prominence for his service in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He was also involved in the construction of several fortifications in the French colonies of the Caribbean.
Another notable figure with the Rivet surname was Gustave Rivet (1858-1936), a French architect and archaeologist who was influential in the study and preservation of ancient Roman ruins in France and North Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rivet
Among Census respondents with the surname Rivet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rivet bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Rivet surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2%
- Hispanic or Latino3.5%
- Black or African American1.9%
- Two or more races1.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Rivet surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,857 | #15,127 | -1.8% |
| Count | 1,829 | 1,949 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.66 | -2.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Rivet bearers went from 1,829 to 1,949 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 270 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,857 to #15,127.
FAQ
Rivet surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Rivet?
The surname Rivet holds position #15,127 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,262 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Rivet surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rivet, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.