River History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the River surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in various locations in England. The origins of this surname can be traced back to France where the name was used to denote someone who was a native of La Riviere. The surname River was later introduced to England by early French settlers and was used to identify the individuals who lived by the river.

Early Origins of the River family

The surname River was first found in Buckinghamshire at Worminghall, a parish, in the union of Thame, hundred of Ashendon. " It formerly had a market, granted to John de Rivers in 1304, with a fair on the festival of St. Peter and St. Paul." 1

Early History of the River family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our River research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1110, 1280, 1442, 1483, 1573, 1579, 1601, 1603, 1614, 1615, 1640, 1641, 1651, 1656, 1657, 1660, 1665, 1679, 1695 and 1734 are included under the topic Early River History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

River Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname River include Rivers, Ryvers, River, Ryver and others.

Early Notables of the River family

Distinguished members of the family include

Anthony Woodville Rivers (1442-1483), English nobleman; James Rivers (1603-1641), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Lewes (1640) son of Sir John Rivers, 1st Baronet (c. 1579-1651), atten...
Antony Rivers (fl. 1615), was an English Jesuit, who also went by the name of Thomas Blewett and was living in London from 1601 to 1603. 2

River Ranking

In the United States, the name River is the 15,371^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

River migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

River Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary River, who landed in Maryland in 1655 4
John River, who arrived in Maryland in 1660 4

River Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacques River, aged 24, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 4
Johan William River, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 4

River Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander River, aged 48, who landed in North Carolina in 1812 4
V River, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1839 4
Bastian River, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 4

Contemporary Notables of the name River (post 1700) +

J. A. River, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Wyoming, 1884-85 5
River Jude Phoenix (1970-1993), born River Jude Bottom, an American film actor, musician, and activist

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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