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Rivera Family History

Rivera Surname 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


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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 1911 there were 10 Rivera families living in Quebec. This was about 67% of all the recorded Rivera's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Rivera families in 1911.
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.
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What did your Rivera ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Journalier was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Rivera. 100% of Rivera men worked as a Journalier.

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 1921

  • Journalier
    100%

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

View all Rivera military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rivera family history

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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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rivera 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Rivera family tree

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