Rivera is a surname of Spanish beginnings that was the old spelling of ribera, the Spanish word for “riverbank”.

Individuals

By name
 Rivera, Albert (born 1979), politician
 Rivera, Alberto Magno Romero (1935–1997), anti-Catholic religious activist
 Rivera, Alexis, football player
 Rivera, Antonio (1963–2005), boxer
 Rivera, Aracely
 Rivera, Arturo (born 1945)
 Rivera, Benjamín, voice actor
 Rivera, Chita (born 1933), actress and dancer
 Rivera, Danny (born 1945), singer
 Rivera, Dennis Mario, Puerto Rican artist
 Rivera, Diego (1886–1957), Mexican muralist
 Rivera, Eliu
 Rivera, Erica (born 1988), American actress and singer
 Rivera, Filiberto (born 1983), basketball player
 Rivera, Francisco "Curro", Mexican bullfighter
 Rivera, Fructuoso (c. 1789–1854), Uruguayan politician
 Rivera, Gabriel
 Rivera, Geraldo (born 1943), journalist
 Rivera, Gianni (born 1943), Italian football player
 Rivera, Dr. Graciela (born 1921), singer
 Rivera, Luis Antonio (born 1930), Puerto Rican television personality and comedian
 Rivera, Guadalupe "Lupillo" (born 1972), Mexican banda singer
 Rivera, Guillermo (born 1975), baseball player
 Rivera, Ismael (1931–1987), renowned composer and singer of salsa music
 Rivera, Jake, music producer
 Rivera, James, singer
 Rivera, Jamie, Filipino Christian music diva and a cancer survivor
 Rivera, Jenni, musician
 Rivera, Jerry (born 1973), salsa singer
 Rivera, Jim (born 1922), baseball player
 Rivera, Joel (born 1978), politician
 Rivera, Jorge, fighter
 Rivera, Jorge (born 1973), basketball player
 Rivera, Jose (born 1936), politician
 Rivera, Jose Ariel Jimenez (born 1966), actor, singer, songwriter
 Rivera, José (born 1955), playwright
 Rivera, José Antonio (born 1973), boxer
 Rivera, José Eustasio (1888–1928), Colombian writer
 Rivera, Juan Luis (born 1978), baseball player
 Rivera, Juan Maria Antonio, 18th century Spanish explorer
 Rivera, Juan "Savio Vega" (born 1966), wrestler
 Rivera, Leandro, Spanish actor
 Rivera, Leonor, childhood sweetheart of Filipino writer and doctor Jose Rizal
 Rivera, Lionel, politician
 Rivera, Luciano (1930–1988)
 Rivera, Mailon, actor
 Rivera, Marco Anthony (born 1972), NFL player
 Rivera, Marian (born 1984), Filipino young actress and commercial model
 Rivera, Mariano (born 1969), Baseball pitcher from Panama
 Rivera, Marika (born 1919), actress
 Rivera, Mark, musician
 Rivera, Maura, Chilean ballerina
 Rivera, Mike (born 1976), baseball player
 Rivera, Naomi, politician
 Rivera, Oscar Lopez (born 1943)
 Rivera, Pedro Ignacio (c. 1759–1833), Bolivian revolutionary
 Rivera, Peter (born 1946), politician
 Rivera, Rachel, voice actress
 Rivera, René (born 1983), baseball player
 Rivera, Riberto Louis "Robbie", Puerto Rican house music producer and DJ
 Rivera, Robert
 Rivera, Ronald Eugene (born 1962), NFL player
 Rivera, Rubén Rivera (born 1973), baseball player
 Rivera, Sandy, American record producer, House music DJ and label owner
 Rivera, Saúl (born 1977), baseball player
 Rivera, Scarlet, American violinist
 Rivera, Sylvia Rae, (1951–2002), transgender activist
 Rivera, Temario C., professor
 Rivera, Tomás (1935–1984), Chicano author, poet, and educator
 Rivera, Victor, wrestler

Variants
 de Rivera, José Antonio Primo, Spanish politician
 de Rivera, Miguel Primo, Spanish dictator
 Rivera Alers, Monserrate, musician
 Rivera Carrera, Norberto, Mexican cardinal
 Rivera Castillo, Efraín, musician
 Rivera Guerra, Carlos (born 1986), singer
 Rivera, Mendoza, Zuleyka Jerrís (born 1987), Miss Puerto Rico Universe and Miss Universe 2006
 Rivera Ordoñez, Francisco, Spanish bullfighter
 Rivera Pizarro, Alberto, Spanish footballer
 Rivera Santos, Ingrid Marie (born 1983), Miss World contestant

Places
 Rivera Department, Uruguay
 Rivera, Uruguay, capital of that department
 Rivera, Huila, Colombia
 Rivera, Switzerland
 Pico Rivera, California
 Rivera, a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina