Reuben Boy

Popularity: #675 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ROO-bin //ˈruː.bən//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: behold, a son; English: variant of Reuben

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Reuben has its roots in the Hebrew language, originating from the biblical name רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), which is traditionally interpreted to mean "behold, a son." The etymology can be broken down into two components: the Hebrew verb רָאָה (ra'ah), meaning "to see," and the noun בֵּן (ben), meaning "son." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, where Reuben is the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, making it a significant name in Jewish tradition and history. Historically, Reuben is a prominent figure in the biblical narrative, with his story unfolding in the 2nd millennium BCE.

As the firstborn of Jacob, Reuben holds a place of importance among the twelve tribes of Israel, which are named after his brothers. The name is also mentioned in various translations of the Bible, including the Septuagint and the Vulgate, which helped to disseminate its use in Christian contexts.

The King James Version of the Bible, published in the early 17th century, further solidified the name's presence in English-speaking cultures. Culturally, Reuben has been associated with themes of leadership and responsibility, reflecting the qualities expected of a firstborn son in ancient societies.

The name has also been embraced in various forms across different cultures, with diminutive forms like Reuby appearing in some contexts. Additionally, the name has been linked to various saints and historical figures, contributing to its enduring legacy.

Overall, Reuben carries a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its biblical origins and the narratives that have surrounded it through the centuries.

Famous people named Reuben

In this section, you will find notable people named Reuben. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Reuben who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Reuben who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Reuben Studdard is a singer best known for winning American Idol and his album Soulful.

Reuben Fleischer is a director best known for Zombieland, Venom, and 30 Minutes or Less.

Reuben Randle is a former professional American football player best known for playing wide receiver for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Reuben Klamer is a toy inventor best known for creating the game The Game of Life.

Fictional characters named Reuben

The following list of fictional characters named Reuben is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Reuben is a fictional character from the animated television series The Amazing World of Gumball. He is a minor character who is known for his role as a classmate of Gumball and Darwin, often appearing in humorous situations.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Reuben, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

SimonEthanLeviIsaacNoahSamuel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Reuben. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

RubenEubenJudeCalebAsherGabrielMosesZebulon

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Reuben was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Reuben has ranked as high as #558 nationally, which occurred in 1920, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Reuben has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Reuben is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Reuben was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Reuben.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 269 269 0
2024 283 283 0
2023 303 303 0
2022 285 285 0
2021 263 263 0
2020 246 246 0
2019 245 245 0
2018 229 229 0
2017 240 240 0
2016 251 251 0
2015 258 258 0
2014 267 267 0
2013 237 237 0
2012 215 215 0
2011 215 215 0
2010 202 202 0
2009 242 242 0
2008 223 223 0
2007 226 226 0
2006 236 236 0
2005 222 222 0
2004 226 226 0
2003 233 233 0
2002 236 236 0
2001 220 220 0
2000 215 215 0
1999 234 234 0
1998 231 231 0
1997 205 205 0
1996 225 225 0
1995 226 226 0
1994 247 247 0
1993 240 240 0
1992 249 249 0
1991 275 275 0
1990 304 304 0
1989 287 287 0
1988 279 274 5
1987 292 292 0
1986 295 295 0
1985 279 279 0
1984 255 255 0
1983 240 240 0
1982 267 267 0
1981 283 276 7
1980 294 294 0
1979 267 267 0
1978 295 295 0
1977 287 287 0
1976 269 269 0
1975 229 229 0
1974 245 245 0
1973 212 212 0
1972 231 231 0
1971 259 259 0
1970 254 248 6
1969 160 160 0
1968 181 181 0
1967 178 178 0
1966 174 174 0
1965 214 214 0
1964 236 236 0
1963 246 246 0
1962 214 214 0
1961 222 222 0
1960 251 251 0
1959 242 242 0
1958 216 216 0
1957 241 241 0
1956 220 220 0
1955 221 221 0
1954 180 180 0
1953 201 201 0
1952 246 246 0
1951 220 220 0
1950 206 206 0
1949 207 207 0
1948 213 213 0
1947 202 202 0
1946 227 227 0
1945 181 181 0
1944 204 204 0
1943 201 201 0
1942 222 222 0
1941 213 213 0
1940 190 190 0
1939 178 178 0
1938 217 217 0
1937 203 203 0
1936 209 209 0
1935 227 227 0
1934 225 225 0
1933 229 229 0
1932 248 248 0
1931 250 250 0
1930 283 283 0
1929 290 290 0
1928 303 303 0
1927 380 375 5
1926 373 367 6
1925 361 361 0
1924 440 435 5
1923 432 426 6
1922 439 439 0
1921 399 399 0
1920 465 465 0
1919 432 432 0
1918 458 453 5
1917 430 430 0
1916 441 441 0
1915 431 431 0
1914 372 372 0
1913 293 293 0
1912 220 220 0
1911 109 109 0
1910 93 93 0
1909 91 91 0
1908 102 102 0
1907 88 88 0
1906 79 79 0
1905 88 88 0
1904 71 71 0
1903 65 65 0
1902 82 82 0
1901 68 68 0
1900 86 86 0
1899 64 64 0
1898 78 78 0
1897 82 82 0
1896 90 90 0
1895 102 102 0
1894 87 87 0
1893 86 86 0
1892 89 89 0
1891 75 75 0
1890 75 75 0
1889 73 73 0
1888 84 84 0
1887 54 54 0
1886 81 81 0
1885 72 72 0
1884 82 82 0
1883 57 57 0
1882 73 73 0
1881 73 73 0
1880 92 92 0

Top States for Reuben (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
PA 26
12%
NY 22
10%
OH 16
7%
TX 14
6%
MO 13
6%
MI 12
5%
CA 11
5%
MN 11
5%
FL 10
4%
AL 8
4%
OR 8
4%
WA 8
4%
WI 8
4%
IL 7
3%
IN 7
3%
VA 7
3%
IA 7
3%
OK 6
3%
KY 6
3%
AR 6
3%
MD 6
3%
GA 5
2%