Riviera Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Spelled Riviera, the surname still points back to Rivière. At root, the name means “River”. Before spelling was fixed, Rivière was also written Riviera. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms. The same family of names includes Rivier, Larivière and Desrivières.

1,277 Americans were listed as Riviera in the 2010 census. 64% of them identified as Hispanic or Latino. From 1891 to 2000, 663 births in France were registered under Riviera. Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Rivera and Riveira.

Looking for a Riviera coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. For the full story, order the Riviera surname pack.