Rivas Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Rivas last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Rivas last name
Meaning of the Rivas last name: "riverbanks". Rivas is a Spanish surname for someone who lived on a riverbank or hillside, from riba, "bank", from Latin ripa, or came from one of the places called Rivas. The Catalan spelling is Ribas. The last name is very common in Venezuela, Mexico and Nicaragua.
Arms associated with the Rivas name
In Spain a coat of arms was often carved over the family house, and Rivas heraldry shares that habit.
Get your full Rivas family history
This is only a glimpse of the Rivas story. The full Rivas history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Rivas coat of arms. Get the full Rivas report.
Rivas name FAQ
What does the Rivas name mean?
"riverbanks". Common variants include Ribas, Riba.
Where does the Rivas surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia.
Is there a Rivas coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Rivas coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).