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Rivera Family History

Rivera Name Meaning

Spanish: habitational name from any of several places called Rivera from ribera ‘bank shore’ (from Late Latin riparia). Compare De Rivera . Catalan and Italian (southern): variant of Ribera a cognate of 1 above. Italian: habitational name from either of two places called Rivera in Piedmont and Verbania.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Ribera, Riera, Riviera, Rivero, Rivers, Revere, Vera, Riviere, Riva

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rivera family from?

You can see how Rivera families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rivera family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Rivera families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 337 Rivera families living in New Mexico. This was about 54% of all the recorded Rivera's in USA. New Mexico had the highest population of Rivera families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rivera surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rivera ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Labrador and Costurera were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rivera. 18% of Rivera men worked as a Labrador and 12% of Rivera women worked as a Costurera. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rivera were Agricultor and Cocinera. .

View Census Data for Rivera | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Labrador
    18%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Jornalero
    11%
  • Agricultor
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Costurera
    12%
  • Sirvienta
    12%
  • Lavandera
    5%
  • Cocinera
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rivera family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 707,000 census records available for the last name Rivera. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rivera census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Rivera

Passenger Lists

There are 144,000 immigration records available for the last name Rivera. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rivera immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 54,000 military records available for the last name Rivera. For the veterans among your Rivera ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rivera lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Rivera life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rivera in 1942 was 39, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rivera

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