The Rivers surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 38,662 people carried this name — #897 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,630 people counted. That is up 7% from 35,980 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rivers surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘de Rivers’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Richard de Rivers, Devon, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 648 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

47 families named Rivers, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 205 people lived in those households, 4.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

South Carolina 29
Pennsylvania 6
Virginia 5
Maine 3
North Carolina 2
New York 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Rivers in American newspapers,
1845–1874.

Newspaper page from The Spirit Of Democracy carrying the name Rivers
The Spirit Of Democracy 1845-05-10
Newspaper page from The Bloomfield Times carrying the name Rivers
The Bloomfield Times 1874-09-22
Newspaper page from Orangeburg Times carrying the name Rivers
Orangeburg Times 1872-08-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,364 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Rivers in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

29,920 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rivers. The most, 7,022, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,357
Queensland 6,631
Victoria 6,425
South Australia 1,538
Tasmania 973
Western Australia 824
ACT (Canberra) 81
Northern Territory 19

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rivers.

Who carried it

People named Rivers,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Sir Thomas Rivers, 2nd Baronet
    Sir Thomas Rivers, 2nd Baronet d. 1657 · politician
  • Ronald L. Rivers d. 2015 · physician
  • John Rivers d. 1584 · merchant
  • Phyllis Margaret Rivers d. 1971
  • Mary Rivers d. 1757
  • Elizabeth Rivers d. 1812

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Rivers,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,419 records

2,419 records of the Rivers name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,019
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 530
  • Other U.S. records 870
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Harry Eugene Rivers

    Born 1949; from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Reginald Rivers

    Born 1923 in Florida. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; textile mill worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ersitia Rivers

    Arrived at New York in 1882 aboard the Caldera from Escales and Marseilles, aged 26; milliner. From Genova, Italy; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,419 records for Rivers in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia278 records

278 records of the Rivers name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 168
  • Tasmanian Names Index 46
  • Other Australian records 64
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Rivers

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Pestongee Bomangee, sailing from Plymouth in 1852. Native of Reading, Berkshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William H. Rivers

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Orwell, aged 11; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Harry Rivers

    Journalist of Ascot Vale, Victoria; died 1932.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 278 records for Rivers in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada52 records

52 records of the Rivers name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 23
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 10
  • Other Canadian records 19
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Daphne Rivers

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the William, bound for Albaco, aged 22.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Rivers

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Port Credit, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helen Mary Rivers

    Buried in 1938 at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, aged 52.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 52 records for Rivers in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Rivers name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Rivers

    Buried in 1791 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 64.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. H. Rivers

    Lance Corporal, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Rivers

    Buried in 1819 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 60.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Rivers in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands15 records

15 records of the Rivers name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 9
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  • Dutch population registers 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johannes Rivers

    Died 1816 in Nijmegen, aged 32; painter.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Doris Lilian Rivers

    Died 1935 in Schiedam; born in Greenwich, Great Britain.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Schiedam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catharijn Rivers

    Married in 1687 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Rivers in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Rivers name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Ernest Rivers

    Died 1954, aged 62; buried at Buffalo Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Frederick Rivers

    Died 1986, aged 62; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Danniel Paul Rivers

    Died 1990; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Rivers in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rivers.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rivers is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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