Nameling

Reuben

Gender
Boy
Say it
ROO-ben
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#25 for boys
US rank, 2025
#883 for boys

Reuben is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “behold, a son”. In 2025 it ranked 25th for boys in the UK (1,576 babies) and 883rd for boys in the US (269 babies).

What does Reuben mean?

Hebrew

“behold, a son”

In Genesis, Reuben is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Reuben a girl's or a boy's name?

Reuben is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,576 boys in the UK and 269 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Reuben in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#25among boys
Babies in 2025
1,576about 1 in 190 boys
Five-year trend
Steadymuch the same
Same name in a class
7.1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 1,576 boys in the UK were named Reuben, making it the 25th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 45th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 1,711 boys.

Half of all the boys named Reuben in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,256 boys in the UK were given Reuben or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #18, up from #25 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 29th in England and Wales, 37th in Scotland and 29th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#51) and 2024 (#33).

1996Busiest: 1,711 in 20212025
Reuben in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20251,576#25
20241,601#32
20231,521#37
20221,643#37
20211,711#38
20201,483#45
20191,560#45
20181,665#41
20171,458#48
20161,465#47
20151,331#52
20141,285#55
20131,272#54
20121,127#69
20111,038#71
20101,032#73
2009950#79
2008855#96
2007871#91
2006753#99
2005626#106
2004528#121
2003438#129
2002297#152
2001276#154
2000251#163
1999217#174
1998230#171
1997200#191
1996163#214

How popular is Reuben in the US?

Rank in 2025
#883among boys
Babies in 2025
269about 1 in 6,300 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 19% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 269 boys in the US were named Reuben, making it the 883rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 907th. Its busiest year was 1920, with 465 boys.

Half of all the boys named Reuben in the US since 1880 were born between 1925 and 1992, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 946 boys in the US were given Reuben or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #355, up from #883 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 465 in 19202025
Reuben in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025269#883
2024283#857
2023303#809
2022285#852
2021263#879
2020246#907
2019245#890
2018229#927
2017240#895
2016251#874
2015258#868
2014267#844
2013237#880
2012215#946
2011215#928
2010202#976
2009242#867
2008223#918
2007226#889
2006236#851
2005222#834
2004226#798
2003233#759
2002236#738
2001220#773
2000215#771
1999234#708
1998231#717
1997205#737
1996225#703
1995226#703
1994247#660
1993240#664
1992249#656
1991275#614
1990304#579
1989287#574
1988274#555
1987292#526
1986295#514
1985279#522
1984255#542
1983240#542
1982267#521
1981276#506
1980294#495
1979267#515
1978295#472
1977287#476
1976269#483
1975229#530
1974245#506
1973212#537
1972231#516
1971259#505
1970248#510
1969160#620
1968181#565
1967178#560
1966174#574
1965214#524
1964236#509
1963246#511
1962214#540
1961222#533
1960251#497
1959242#503
1958216#523
1957241#499
1956220#510
1955221#495
1954180#538
1953201#493
1952246#450
1951220#456
1950206#463
1949207#457
1948213#456
1947202#473
1946227#421
1945181#442
1944204#426
1943201#443
1942222#412
1941213#396
1940190#424
1939178#426
1938217#382
1937203#385
1936209#378
1935227#359
1934225#363
1933229#359
1932248#351
1931250#349
1930283#329
1929290#326
1928303#321
1927375#296
1926367#298
1925361#301
1924435#273
1923426#275
1922439#271
1921399#278
1920465#254
1919432#255
1918453#249
1917430#243
1916441#238
1915431#231
1914372#216
1913293#216
1912220#235
1911109#245
191093#249
190991#226
1908102#199
190788#215
190679#222
190588#197
190471#219
190365#225
190282#197
190168#204
190086#210
189964#205
189878#193
189782#186
189690#178
1895102#151
189487#173
189386#168
189289#177
189175#171
189075#178
188973#183
188884#176
188754#210
188681#171
188572#181
188482#171
188357#200
188273#184
188173#165
188092#147

Nicknames for Reuben

Names like Reuben

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Louie Jesse Archie Charlie Oscar Isaac Henry Leo Otis Felix Arthur Rupert

Other spellings of Reuben

Ruben Rueben Ruban Rubin

Names related to Reuben

Reuban

More Hebrew names

Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Reuben: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/reuben, updated 20 October 2026.