Rivera History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

The distinguished surname Rivera is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The name was originally derived from the Castilian word "rivera," which means "riverbank." Thus it is quite probable that the first families to take on Rivera as a surname lived near the banks of a river.

Early Origins of the Rivera family

The surname Rivera was first found in Castile, the kingdom that led the Reconquest of the peninsula from the Muslims, in medieval times.

Early History of the Rivera family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rivera research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1532, 1537, 1558, 1588, 1591, 1611, 1652, 1666, 1725, 1765, 1774, 1777, 1779, 1781, 1784, 1830, 1833, 1836, 1854 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Rivera History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rivera Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rivera, Ribera, Ribeira, Rivero, Ribero, Ribeiro and others.

Early Notables of the Rivera family

Prominent among members of the family

were Ruy Páez de Ribera, a 15th century lyric poet; Suero de Ribera, a contemporary of Ruy and also a poet; Diego de Rivera, one of the noblemen asked by Princess (later Queen) Isabella to announce to...
Fernando Javier Rivera y Moncada (c. 1725-1781) was a Mexican-born soldier of the Spanish Empire who served in The Californias and was the third Governor of The Californias, from 1774-1777. José Fruct...
Juan Maria Antonio Rivera (also spelled Ribera) was an 18th-century Spanish explorer who explored southwestern North America, including parts of the Southern Rocky Mountains. In 1765, at the request o...

Rivera Ranking

In the United States, the name Rivera is the 61^st most popular surname with an estimated 281,031 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rivera is ranked the 5,474^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Rivera migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rivera Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Rodrigues Rivera, who arrived in New York, NY in 1746 3

Rivera Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hipolito Rivera, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 3
Carlos De Rivera, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1816 3
Manuel Rivera, aged 21, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1827 3
Cosme De Rivera, who arrived in America in 1828 3
Felipe Garisa Rivera, aged 50, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rivera (post 1700) +

Chita Rivera (1933-2024), American actress, dancer, and singer, "West Side Story" star, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, born as Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson
Naya Marie Rivera (1987-2020), American actress, singer and model who won two ALMA Awards as a music artist, two Grammy Award and one Brit Award nominations
Carlos M. Rivera (1934-2020), American firefighter, the first Hispanic commissioner in the New York City Fire Department's 127-year history
Samuel Rivera (1946-2020), American politician, Mayor of Passaic, New Jersey, from 2001 until 2008
Manuel Joseph "Jim" Rivera (1921-2017), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1952 to 1961
T. C. Rivera, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from New Mexico, 1922 4
Samuel Rivera, American politician, Mayor of Passaic, New Jersey, 2007 4
Robert L. Rivera, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1996 4
Richard G. Rivera, American politician, Representative from New Jersey 13th District, 1998 4
Peter Rivera, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2004 4
... (Another 51 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Rivera family +

St. Francis Dam

Mr. J. Pedro "Pete" Rivera, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mrs. Addie M. Rivera, (nee LeBrun), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. William Peter Rivera, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Albert Rivera, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

USS Arizona

Mr. Francisco Unpingoo Rivera, American Mess Attendant Second Class from Guam, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html