Rivers Family History

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Rivers Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of various places in northern France called Rivières, from the plural form of Old French rivière ‘river’ (originally meaning ‘riverbank’, from Latin riparia). The absence of English forms without the final -s makes it unlikely that it is ever from the borrowed Middle English vocabulary word river, but the French and other Romance cognates do normally have this sense. Common Americanized form of French Larivière.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Revere, Ives, Rives, Travers, River, Rivera, Rivero, Riera, Ivers

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Rivers Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Rivers name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Rivers. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    38%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    16%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    9%

  • Benin/Togo

    7%

  • France

    5%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Rivers Family Origin

Where is the Rivers family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Rivers families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rivers family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rivers families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 34 Rivers families living in South Carolina. This was about 24% of all the recorded Rivers's in the USA. South Carolina had the highest population of Rivers families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rivers surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Rivers

    Rivers Family Occupations

    What did your Rivers ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Rivers family was Farming. The most common Rivers occupation in the USA was Farmer. 30% of Rivers's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Farm Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Rivers.

    View Census data for Rivers | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      30%

    • Laborer

      17%

    • Farm Laborer

      6%

    • Farming

      5%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Rivers ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Rivers Historical Records

    What Rivers family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 159,000 census records available for the last name Rivers. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rivers census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Rivers

    Passenger List

    There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Rivers. 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 Rivers immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Rivers. For the veterans among your Rivers ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Rivers military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Rivers family history.

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    Rivers Life Expectancy

    What is the average Rivers lifespan?

    Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Rivers life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rivers in 1941 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rivers

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rivers ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Rivers Family Ancestors

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