Riva Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Riva mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Riva coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Riva name
Riva is a topographic name for someone who lived on a riverbank or lakeshore, from Italian riva, "bank, shore", Latin ripa. It can also be a habitational name from one of several places called Riva, such as Riva del Garda. The surname is most common in Lombardy and Piedmont, around the northern lakes, and is also found in Switzerland and Spain.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Riva name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Riva name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Spain and Argentina; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Riva family history
Your full Riva pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Riva coat of arms for you.
Riva name FAQ
What does the Riva name mean?
Bank, shore. Common variants include Della Riva, Rive, Rivetti.
Where does the Riva surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in Switzerland, Spain and Argentina.
Is there a Riva coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Riva crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Riva coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).