Riva

Q: What does Riva mean?

Riva is a girls' name of Hebrew origin, short form of Rivka (Rebecca); also an Italian word. Used in Jewish families as a short form of Rivka (Rebecca); riva is also Italian for shore or riverbank.

Gender: Girl
Say it: REE-va
Origin: Hebrew
UK rank, 2025: #848 for girls
US rank, 2025: #3,644 for girls

Riva is a girls' name of Hebrew origin. In 2025 it ranked 848th for girls in the UK (45 babies) and 3,644th for girls in the US (41 babies).

What does Riva mean?

Hebrew: short form of Rivka (Rebecca); also an Italian word

Used in Jewish families as a short form of Rivka (Rebecca); riva is also Italian for shore or riverbank.

Is Riva a girl's or a boy's name?

Riva is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 45 girls in the UK and 41 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Riva in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 848th among girls
Babies in 2025: 45 about 1 in 6,200 girls
Five-year trend: Steady up 15% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 45 girls in the UK were named Riva, making it the 848th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 862nd. Its busiest year was 2020, with 45 girls.

2025 had more girls named Riva than any year since 2020.

Half of all the girls named Riva in the UK since 1996 were born between 2015 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 171 girls in the UK were given Riva or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #301, up from #848 for this spelling alone.

Reeva 117
Riva 45
Rivah 6
Reevah 3

Among girls in 2025, it was 807th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 45 in 20202025

Riva in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	45	#848
2024	28	#1,248
2023	40	#949
2022	43	#878
2021	42	#906
2020	45	#862
2019	26	#1,332
2018	27	#1,298
2017	24	#1,455
2016	24	#1,452
2015	20	#1,622
2014	10	#2,618
2013	16	#1,874
2012	12	#2,319
2011	5	#4,244
2010	8	#2,992
2009	4	#4,795
2008	5	#4,065
2007	5	#3,858
2006	9	#2,451
2005	4	#4,150
2004	3	#4,789
2003	3	#4,560
2002	5	#3,047
2001	0	–
2000	0	–
1999	4	#3,374
1998	0	–
1997	0	–
1996	5	#2,815

How popular is Riva in the US?

Rank in 2025: 3,644th among girls
Babies in 2025: 41 about 1 in 39,000 girls
Five-year trend: Rising up 67% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 41 girls in the US were named Riva, making it the 3,644th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,546th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 57 girls. It first appears in the records in 1910.

Half of all the girls named Riva in the US since 1880 were born between 1967 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 100 girls in the US were given Riva or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,690, up from #3,644 for this spelling alone.

Reeva 59
Riva 41

1910Busiest: 57 in 20232025

Riva in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	41	#3,644
2024	51	#3,119
2023	57	#2,936
2022	35	#4,106
2021	31	#4,409
2020	29	#4,546
2019	34	#4,161
2018	26	#5,003
2017	49	#3,247
2016	35	#4,156
2015	22	#5,831
2014	24	#5,454
2013	23	#5,642
2012	25	#5,396
2011	18	#6,852
2010	17	#7,214
2009	16	#7,676
2008	19	#6,796
2007	13	#9,003
2006	20	#6,354
2005	12	#8,878
2004	19	#6,211
2003	13	#7,993
2002	16	#6,692
2001	8	#11,013
2000	15	#6,802
1999	12	#7,710
1998	13	#7,099
1997	10	#8,329
1996	23	#4,448
1995	12	#7,036
1994	18	#5,244
1993	17	#5,413
1992	28	#3,767
1991	24	#4,202
1990	19	#4,863
1989	20	#4,516
1988	36	#2,862
1987	31	#3,028
1986	21	#3,888
1985	29	#3,083
1984	25	#3,328
1983	9	#6,703
1982	11	#5,909
1981	17	#4,343
1980	21	#3,718
1979	9	#6,694
1978	10	#5,957
1977	10	#5,886
1976	12	#4,903
1975	5	#9,065
1974	10	#5,359
1973	14	#4,154
1972	11	#4,792
1971	20	#3,266
1970	14	#4,037
1969	18	#3,198
1968	10	#4,488
1967	16	#3,210
1966	7	#5,272
1965	11	#3,951
1964	6	#6,008
1963	9	#4,538
1962	16	#3,160
1961	20	#2,751
1960	11	#3,919
1959	16	#2,979
1958	11	#3,746
1957	11	#3,695
1956	22	#2,388
1955	18	#2,634
1954	22	#2,294
1953	27	#1,972
1952	15	#2,805
1951	9	#3,713
1950	6	#4,736
1949	5	#5,243
1948	7	#4,203
1947	0	–
1946	13	#2,738
1945	0	–
1944	0	–
1943	0	–
1942	7	#3,736
1941	7	#3,557
1940	8	#3,206
1939	5	#4,248
1938	0	–
1937	5	#4,253
1936	5	#4,179
1935	0	–
1934	7	#3,447
1933	0	–
1932	0	–
1931	0	–
1930	7	#3,656
1929	5	#4,568
1928	5	#4,723
1927	0	–
1926	0	–
1925	8	#3,663
1924	8	#3,663
1923	0	–
1922	8	#3,653
1921	11	#2,940
1920	7	#3,955
1919	0	–
1918	5	#4,807
1917	9	#3,090
1916	5	#4,415
1915	7	#3,433
1914	0	–
1913	0	–
1912	0	–
1911	0	–
1910	5	#2,398

Names like Riva

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Ava, Mia, Myla, Mila, Zara, Eliana, Lyra, Lara, Alba, Athena, Fatima, Thea

Other spellings of Riva

Reeva, Rivah, Reevah

Names related to Riva

Rivi

More Hebrew names

Noah, Isabella, Elijah, James, Jack, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Samuel, Elias, Mateo, Elsie

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Riva: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/riva, updated 20 October 2026.