Meaning of the surname Rivera
Rivera is a Spanish surname of the from a place type meaning "riverbank". It is one of the 50 most common surnames in Mexico. Thirtieth in Mexico. Diego Rivera, the muralist.
Taken from a town, region, or landscape feature in Spain, or later in Mexico: Castillo (castle), Rivera (riverbank), Navarro (from Navarre), Ibarra (Basque valley).
In Mexico a person carries two surnames, the father's and then the mother's, so Rivera appears as either half of a pair: Rivera García, López Rivera. Read how the two-surname system works.