The Spanish surname Rivera is of Locative origin. The name Rivera comes is derived from the Castilian word "rivera" meaning riverbank. The original bearers of the name would have lived by a riverbank. The name Rivera can be traced to Gonzalo Lopez de Rivera , Lord of the Castle in Rivera, Galicia, Northwest Spain in the 13th Century. Rivera is the 9th most common name in Spain and in the United States there are over 200,000 bearers of the name Rivera. Notable bearers of the surname Rivera include Pedro Ignacio Rivera, he was was an Peruvian born statesman and lawyer. He was a representative to the The Congress of Tucuman which on 9 July 1816 declared Argentina's independence. Rivera was born in Upper-Peru (now Bolivia) and studied law at the University of Charcas. He was noted for his work with the poor as a lawyer, he also supported the idea of a constitutional Incan monarchy.                                                                    .                                                                                                                                                                                 Buy family crest jewelry with this design.