<P> Ríos or Rios are Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician surnames . The name has numerous origins . In Germany, Italy, France, UK, and the Americas the Ríos surname can also be found in the surname history books . The name was derived from the Spanish word "Rio," which means "river" (pronounced: Ree - Oess). </P> <P> The surname Ríos is a sign of ancestry which includes royals and nobles . Historians believe the Ríos family derived from the Royal House of Asturias . The original bearer of the name Ríos, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the region of Northwestern Spain which is today's Galicia and Asturias . In the Middle Ages, names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate . The Ríos Family originally lived near a river . As early as the 10th Century, the Riós family has been involved in political reform, business, military, athletics, education, science, law, medicine, arts, architecture, literature, technology, inventions, and economic investments . </P>

Where does the last name rios originate from