An English surname, Rivers comes from the Latin term ‘riparia’ and the Old French term of ‘riviere’ which meant a stream, a river and those who live near a river. The spelling variations for Rivers include Ryver, Ryvers and River. In England the Rivers name is across most of the country. The greatest population of Rivers are in the city of London, Essex, Suffolk, Hampshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire counties. In Scotland the Rivers family name is found in Ayrshire, Ross & Cromarty, Angus and Lanarkshire. Within the United States the Rivers family name originated in New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. Famous: Philip Rivers (professional football player), Joan Rivers (actress, comedienne), Johnny Rivers (singer and songwriter), Sam Rivers (musician), Larry Rivers (artist), David Rivers (professional basketball player) and Francine Rivers (writer).