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Rivers Family History

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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Where is the Rivers family from?

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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Rivers ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Rivers. 27% of Rivers men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Rivers women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rivers were Farm Laborer and Housewife.

View Census data for Rivers | 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

  • Laborer
    27%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Truck Driver
    3%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Maid
    13%
  • Cook
    9%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rivers family records will you find?

Census Records

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 US census records for Rivers

Passenger Lists

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 Cards

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.

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

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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

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