Explore the Family Name Riva
The meaning of Riva
1. Italian: topographic name for someone who lived by a wharf or landing at a port or seaport or on the bank of a river, from riva ‘river bank’ (from Latin ripa). 2. Catalan and Spanish: variant of Riba, which has the same origin and meaning as 1 above. 3. French (southern): topographic name of Italian origin (see 1 above) or from dialect riva ‘(river) bank, shore’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Carlos, Digna, Mario, Ramon, Sergio, Alvaro, Angel, Armando, Benito, Cristina, Fernando, Guillermo. Italian Angelo, Flavio, Agostino, Antonio, Italo, Sal, Santo, Sebastiano. French Gaston, Jean-Paul.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Riva in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Riva has seen a slight decline in rank from 20,665 in 2000 to 20,780 in 2010, marking a change of -0.56%. Despite this modest drop in rank, the count of individuals bearing the surname Riva increased by 6.81%, from 1,190 people in 2000 to 1,271 people in 2010. The proportion of the population with the surname Riva per 100,000 people saw a small decrease of -2.27% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,665 | #20,780 | -0.56% |
| Count | 1,190 | 1,271 | 6.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.44 | 0.43 | -2.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Riva
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Riva, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals an increase in the number of Hispanic individuals bearing the surname from 19.66% in 2000 to 22.74% in 2010. However, the percentage of White individuals with the surname decreased slightly from 76.72% in 2000 to 74.11% in 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders and those identifying as two or more races also dropped over the decade, by -19.46% and -6.35% respectively. No Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals were recorded with the surname Riva for either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.72% | 74.11% | -3.4% |
| Hispanic | 19.66% | 22.74% | 15.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.85% | 1.49% | -19.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1.18% | -6.35% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |