In beginning this blog project about us, the Rivera Family, I came across a lot of material on the history of the Rivera surname. I found the coat of arms above and several descriptions of its meaning and origin, some of which I was not aware of.
For example, I knew before that the name Rivera came from Spain, specifically Castile (Castilla), although once in Italy a man told me that Rivera was an Italian name. That was pretty interesting. The term "rivera" or "ribera" means riverbank, which I knew. However, I learned that there are some other related meanings of the word: shore, bank, strand, and riverside. It also appears to have some French origin as well. (C'est pas mal...)
The thing that really intrigues me though is what I found out about the name regarding its Sephardic roots. Sephards are the Jews that lived in Spain and Portugal before the discovery of the New World. Many converted to Catholicism, by force or convenience, during the Spanish Inquisition and prior to the Expulsion by the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabel.
The stalwarts who would not give up their Hebrew spiritual or religious heritage found refuge for some time in Portugal and were able to make it to the New World. Spain would not allow any one but Old Christians to go to the New World. The Rivera name finds itself among those lists of names.
Long ago, I read a book called, The Cross and the Pear Tree, it was written by a man who traced his Sephardic roots from Israel to Eastern Europe, Portugal and to Latin America. His name, Pereira, or Perrera in Spanish, translated to pear tree. It turns out that that name in Hebrew is Peres or the well-known Spanish surname, Perez, which comes from the other side of my family. The Rivera family name comes to us from Puerto Rico. Our family came from Puerto Rico to the U.S. in the 1940s.
So, I come to the conclusion that, based on our Spanish family names, that we may actually originate from Sephardic Jewish ancestry. To have Jewish blood would be an honor. But it is still kind of an unknown. Perhaps the future will reveal more. In the meantime, as God's chosen people were selected to bring salvation to the world, so we, as spiritual Israel, will do in our family ministry of music.
Wow! Thank you for posting this. After the Lord woke my father up 3 days in a row at exactly 5:04 am to pray, it was apparent that there was something significant about this time He wanted my dad to get. Father God led my dad to Gen chapter 5 vs 1-4. My dad shared this with me and immediately I owned mt bible to read. It was the lineage of Adam. As I read this the Holy Spirit placed a very strong sense in my heart that we had to find our family roots. That there was something of great spiritual sigifigance that we didn't know and a rich spiritual heritage from our forefathers. I was unsure of how far back this went but I knew it was far back. My Father and I knew very little of His family. My grandfather was a poor and common man, my grandmother came from one of the wealthiest families in Puerto Rico but was disowned by her family for falling in ĺve with a poor man. All I knew of her as a child was that she would give her shoes to the poor kids at school. And that the wealth of her family was ill gained. Many yeaes later an attorney had contacted her regarding her Fathers estate. She had an inheritance from His estate but declined to take any of it. She said he was a wicked man and did not want money from ill gain. This was all I knew of my family and did not know any farther back then this. Thank you for your post and time on this matter! I know within me that our roots contained something significant. I will continue my search in this! Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI am also proud to say that my last name is Rivera however I never actually knew why. I figured it was because of the love I had for my family and the respect I have for my parents, but recently I've had this thirst or flame inside of me compelling me to learn the truth about a few things. The funny thing is they all led somewhere I never realized but always knew they would. What I didn't know is where it would take me after. I'd like to chai with toy about a grew things I've come across in my journey if you wouldn't mind.
ReplyDeleteHello.... the past few years, I've had a urge to also look into my dad's father's lineage, as I never knew my grandparents. I grew up in Los Angeles, just knew I was of hispanic decent, my dad would say we were of European origins, but I was too you to be interested in the technicality of what that meant. My dad died, and it was never talked about. Before, his brother, my uncle died, he also mention that we were of Basque decent. I have come across some information, that my grandfather was a sheep herder, in Wyoming USA. My search has taken me into Spain and France. My dad looked Italian, he spoke spanish, and my siblings and I look European, I would doubt if Jewish lineage in involved in the Rivera history. Very interesting stuff. All the best in your searches....
ReplyDeleteMy previous comment in saying that I would doubt was in error, it should have read I wouldn't doubt if Jewish lineage was involved in the Rivera lineage..... :)
ReplyDelete