Explore the Family Name River
The meaning of River
1. English: variant of Rivers. 2. English: topographic name from a misdivision of Middle English atter evere ‘at the brow or edge’ (Old English yfer). The surname may denote someone who lived on the slope or brow of a hill, or someone who came from River in Tillington (Sussex), or perhaps River Hill (Binstead, Hants), which have the same etymology. 3. English: perhaps also a nickname from Middle English revere ‘reiver, robber’. This would normally become modern English Reever or Reaver, which are both exceptionally rare in Britain, but they may have become assimilated to River. 4. Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) surname in some other language, such as German Riffer (see Riffey) and Spanish Rivera.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name River in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "River" has seen a noticeable increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 28,256 in terms of popularity but rose to 26,313 by 2010, representing a growth rate of nearly 7 percent. The number of individuals carrying this surname also increased during this period, from 797 to 928, marking a substantial rise of over 16 percent. The proportion of people with the "River" surname per 100k population also saw a slight increase from 0.3 to 0.31.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,256 | #26,313 | 6.88% |
| Count | 797 | 928 | 16.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.31 | 3.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name River
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname "River," significant changes can be observed from the data provided by the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2010, the largest percentage of individuals with the surname "River" identified as White (52.37%), followed by Hispanic (28.77%), and Black (12.28%). There was a rise in those identifying as White and Hispanic from 2000 to 2010, with an increase of 6.21% and 7.63% respectively. However, there was a significant decrease in those identifying as Black, with a drop of 38.84%. Interestingly, in 2010, some individuals also identified themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native, categories that were not represented in 2000. Furthermore, the category of those identifying with two or more races saw an increase of 43.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 49.31% | 52.37% | 6.21% |
| Hispanic | 26.73% | 28.77% | 7.63% |
| Black | 20.08% | 12.28% | -38.84% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.8% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.88% | 2.69% | 43.09% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 1.08% | 0% |