Rivas
A Spanish surname originally tied to people who lived by riverbanks or river edges.
The #426 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,052 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rivas is the plural form of Spanish riba, meaning a riverbank, shore, or slope beside water. The surname therefore began as a topographic name for someone who lived near the banks of a river or stream. It is ultimately related to Latin ripa, “bank” or “shore.”
History
The name is especially associated with Spain, where it appears in medieval and later noble lineages. Historical sources also show it as a house or solar name in Basque-country and Castilian family records, which helped it spread as a hereditary surname. In the modern era it is common throughout the Spanish-speaking world and in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is plural, Rivas literally points to “banks” or “riverbanks,” not just a single bank.
From the historical record
“Risum, Robus, Roba, Riscus, Rima, Rixa, Ramus, Ramos, - Res, Rei, Rem, Re, (See Rebus), - Ruber, Rota, Rivus, Rivas, Ros, Rus, Rure, Rogus (Funpral Pile), Rota, Reus, Rima, Ruga. (Greek.) Sigma (Letter S), - Soma, Somati (The Body), Stoma (The”
— A Grammar of American Surnames