Boy nameCurrently #874 in the USSteady
Reuben
ROO-bin//ˈruːbɪn//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19206 lettersStarts with R
Meaning & origin
Behold, a son
Reuben comes from the Hebrew meaning roughly 'behold, a son', and in Genesis he is Jacob's firstborn son, ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Its warm, vintage-biblical sound has made it a growing modern favorite.
Reuben's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Reuben |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 92 |
| 1881 | 73 |
| 1882 | 73 |
| 1883 | 57 |
| 1884 | 82 |
| 1885 | 72 |
| 1886 | 81 |
| 1887 | 54 |
| 1888 | 84 |
| 1889 | 73 |
| 1890 | 75 |
| 1891 | 75 |
| 1892 | 89 |
| 1893 | 86 |
| 1894 | 87 |
| 1895 | 102 |
| 1896 | 90 |
| 1897 | 82 |
| 1898 | 78 |
| 1899 | 64 |
| 1900 | 86 |
| 1901 | 68 |
| 1902 | 82 |
| 1903 | 65 |
| 1904 | 71 |
| 1905 | 88 |
| 1906 | 79 |
| 1907 | 88 |
| 1908 | 102 |
| 1909 | 91 |
| 1910 | 93 |
| 1911 | 109 |
| 1912 | 220 |
| 1913 | 293 |
| 1914 | 372 |
| 1915 | 431 |
| 1916 | 441 |
| 1917 | 430 |
| 1918 | 458 |
| 1919 | 432 |
| 1920 | 465 |
| 1921 | 399 |
| 1922 | 439 |
| 1923 | 432 |
| 1924 | 440 |
| 1925 | 361 |
| 1926 | 373 |
| 1927 | 380 |
| 1928 | 303 |
| 1929 | 290 |
| 1930 | 283 |
| 1931 | 250 |
| 1932 | 248 |
| 1933 | 229 |
| 1934 | 225 |
| 1935 | 227 |
| 1936 | 209 |
| 1937 | 203 |
| 1938 | 217 |
| 1939 | 178 |
| 1940 | 190 |
| 1941 | 213 |
| 1942 | 222 |
| 1943 | 201 |
| 1944 | 204 |
| 1945 | 181 |
| 1946 | 228 |
| 1947 | 201 |
| 1948 | 213 |
| 1949 | 207 |
| 1950 | 206 |
| 1951 | 220 |
| 1952 | 246 |
| 1953 | 201 |
| 1954 | 180 |
| 1955 | 221 |
| 1956 | 220 |
| 1957 | 241 |
| 1958 | 216 |
| 1959 | 242 |
| 1960 | 251 |
| 1961 | 222 |
| 1962 | 214 |
| 1963 | 246 |
| 1964 | 236 |
| 1965 | 214 |
| 1966 | 174 |
| 1967 | 178 |
| 1968 | 181 |
| 1969 | 160 |
| 1970 | 254 |
| 1971 | 259 |
| 1972 | 231 |
| 1973 | 212 |
| 1974 | 245 |
| 1975 | 229 |
| 1976 | 269 |
| 1977 | 287 |
| 1978 | 295 |
| 1979 | 267 |
| 1980 | 294 |
| 1981 | 283 |
| 1982 | 267 |
| 1983 | 240 |
| 1984 | 255 |
| 1985 | 279 |
| 1986 | 295 |
| 1987 | 292 |
| 1988 | 279 |
| 1989 | 287 |
| 1990 | 304 |
| 1991 | 275 |
| 1992 | 249 |
| 1993 | 240 |
| 1994 | 247 |
| 1995 | 226 |
| 1996 | 225 |
| 1997 | 205 |
| 1998 | 231 |
| 1999 | 233 |
| 2000 | 214 |
| 2001 | 220 |
| 2002 | 235 |
| 2003 | 233 |
| 2004 | 225 |
| 2005 | 219 |
| 2006 | 236 |
| 2007 | 224 |
| 2008 | 223 |
| 2009 | 242 |
| 2010 | 201 |
| 2011 | 215 |
| 2012 | 215 |
| 2013 | 235 |
| 2014 | 267 |
| 2015 | 256 |
| 2016 | 250 |
| 2017 | 239 |
| 2018 | 229 |
| 2019 | 245 |
| 2020 | 246 |
| 2021 | 263 |
| 2022 | 284 |
| 2023 | 303 |
| 2024 | 275 |
Reuben through the decades
- Reuben peaked in 1920, when 465 babies were named Reuben in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Reuben has risen 14% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Reuben currently ranks #874 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
RubyRue
Variants & spellings
Ruben