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

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

Popularity of Ruiz Rivera in America

Ruiz Rivera is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruiz Rivera surname appeared 119 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 Ruiz Rivera.

The history of the last name Ruiz Rivera

The surname RUIZRIVERA is a double-barreled Spanish surname that originates from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 15th century. It is a combination of the paternal surname Ruiz and the maternal surname Rivera, reflecting the union of two prominent families.

The Ruiz component traces its roots to the Basque region of Spain, where it was originally derived from the personal name Ruy or Rodrigo. This name has its origins in the Germanic name Roderic, meaning "famous ruler." The Rivera portion of the name is believed to have originated in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria, referring to someone who lived near a riverbank or riverside area.

One of the earliest known references to the RUIZRIVERA surname can be found in the municipal archives of Seville, where a certain Juan Ruiz Rivera was mentioned in a land ownership record dated 1512. This document suggests that the family had already established itself in Andalusia by the early 16th century.

During the Spanish colonial era, several individuals bearing the RUIZRIVERA surname played notable roles in the exploration and settlement of the Americas. In 1542, Pedro Ruiz Rivera accompanied the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana on his infamous expedition down the Amazon River. Later, in 1598, Diego Ruiz Rivera was among the founding settlers of the city of Santa Fe in present-day New Mexico.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the RUIZRIVERA family was José Ruiz Rivera (1714-1789), a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1773 to 1778. His tenure was marked by efforts to improve the region's infrastructure and defense against British encroachment.

Another notable figure was María Ruiz Rivera (1792-1867), a Venezuelan revolutionary who actively supported the cause of independence from Spanish colonial rule. She is celebrated as a patriot and is said to have provided vital assistance to the forces of Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence.

In the realm of arts and culture, the RUIZRIVERA surname has also left its mark. One example is the Spanish painter and illustrator Francisco Ruiz Rivera (1856-1935), whose works depicted scenes of everyday life in the Andalusian countryside. His paintings are held in prestigious collections, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

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

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

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

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

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