Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name River

River is the English vocabulary word for a ‘flowing body of water’ from the Old Anglo-Norman word “rivere” meaning the same. As a given name, River’s usage was inspired by the “hippie” generation of the 1960s when names like River, Rainbow, Sky, Summer and Echo came into vogue. The “peace, love and freedom” subculture of the 1960s and 70s choose names for their children which reflected their values embedded in pureness, oneness and nature. Generally speaking, it was the most hardcore and committed members of the hippie movement who bestowed such unconventional names on their babies. Therefore, these “hippie” names never really positioned themselves on the naming charts and so remained original and eccentric among the masses. Just for fun, here are some translations of River in other languages: flumen (Latin); rivière (French); fiume (Italian); río (Spanish); fluss (German); flod (Swedish); abhainn (Irish-Gaelic); afon (Welsh); ποτάμι (Greek); mto (Swahili); река (Russian); 河 (Chinese) and 川 (Japanese). Rivers connote a sense of both power and beauty and, until the invention of modern transportation, rivers were the superhighways of the past.

All About the Baby Name – River

Personality

OF THE UNISEX NAME RIVER

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE UNISEX NAME RIVER

River is a name that’s pretty distinct to the United States. Technically unisex, it’s more popular for boys than for girls. While we know the name River dates back to the counterculture movements of the 60s and 70s, it was never used frequently enough to achieve a position on the charts. It was not until 1994 that River flowed his way onto the male naming charts (at the low, low position of #928). This was clearly prompted by the death of River Phoenix in October 1993. A talented actor and tortured soul, River Phoenix would die from drug-induced heart failure outside a Los Angeles nightclub. He had that mysterious James Dean quality and (like Dean) River Phoenix's life was cut short in his early twenties. This just added to his aura and allure. The name River has continued to climb the charts in the past almost 20 years. Recently, in 2009, River became officially unisex when it appeared on the female naming charts. Still much more popular for boys than for girls, River has only achieved low-moderate levels of success. Whether it’s a mighty, whitewater rush or a slow, quiet flow – River is both strong and gentle.

Quick Facts

ON RIVER

GENDER:

Unisex

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

RIV-әr

SIMPLE MEANING:

Flowing body of water

Characteristics

OF RIVER

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – River

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME RIVER

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of River

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME RIVER

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name River


Popular Songs

ON RIVER

River of Jordan
a song by Peter, Paul & Mary

Down to a River (Alan’s Song)
a song by Connie Kaldor

Famous People

NAMED RIVER

River Phoenix (actor)
River Phoenix (actor)
River Phoenix (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED RIVER

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name River

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME RIVER

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name River