Reuel

Gender: Boy
Say it: ROO-el
Origin: Hebrew
UK rank, 2025: #1,473 for boys
US rank, 2025: #3,313 for boys

Reuel is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “friend of God”. In 2025 it ranked 1,473rd for boys in the UK (19 babies) and 3,313th for boys in the US (35 babies).

What does Reuel mean?

Hebrew

“friend of God”

In Exodus, Reuel is a name of Moses' father-in-law, also called Jethro; it was also J. R. R. Tolkien's middle name.

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

Reuel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 19 boys in the UK and 35 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Reuel in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 1,473rd among boys
Babies in 2025: 19 about 1 in 16,000 boys
Five-year trend: Rising fast up 140% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 19 boys in the UK were named Reuel, making it the 1,473rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,819th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 23 boys.

Half of all the boys named Reuel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 25 boys in the UK were given Reuel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,076, up from #1,473 for this spelling alone.

Reuel 19
Ruel 6

Among boys in 2025, it was 1,405th in England and Wales.

1997Busiest: 23 in 20242025

Reuel in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	19	#1,473
2024	23	#1,263
2023	18	#1,507
2022	10	#2,279
2021	9	#2,434
2020	7	#2,819
2019	9	#2,399
2018	9	#2,388
2017	4	#4,161
2016	11	#2,143
2015	6	#3,149
2014	7	#2,843
2013	4	#4,008
2012	9	#2,382
2011	9	#2,311
2010	12	#1,887
2009	4	#3,909
2008	6	#2,906
2007	8	#2,337
2006	10	#1,845
2005	5	#2,885
2004	11	#1,583
2003	5	#2,574
2002	3	#3,325
2001	5	#2,326
2000	8	#1,637
1999	3	#3,043
1998	4	#2,531
1997	3	#2,979

How popular is Reuel in the US?

Rank in 2025: 3,313th among boys
Babies in 2025: 35 about 1 in 49,000 boys
Five-year trend: Rising fast up 107% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 35 boys in the US were named Reuel, making it the 3,313th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,231st. It first appears in the records in 1893.

2025 had the most boys named Reuel of any year since it first appeared, in 1893.

Half of all the boys named Reuel in the US since 1880 were born between 1932 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 49 boys in the US were given Reuel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #2,241, up from #3,313 for this spelling alone.

Reuel 35
Ruel 14

1893Busiest: 35 in 20252025

Reuel in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	35	#3,313
2024	27	#3,984
2023	29	#3,799
2022	27	#3,992
2021	16	#5,557
2020	17	#5,231
2019	15	#5,808
2018	12	#6,699
2017	14	#6,056
2016	13	#6,344
2015	8	#8,739
2014	14	#5,993
2013	8	#8,784
2012	18	#5,030
2011	10	#7,495
2010	10	#7,585
2009	5	#12,486
2008	12	#6,758
2007	7	#9,782
2006	10	#7,422
2005	7	#9,108
2004	7	#8,921
2003	8	#7,824
2002	7	#8,449
2001	5	#10,548
2000	9	#6,832
1999	6	#8,697
1998	6	#8,472
1997	7	#7,275
1996	5	#9,008
1995	0	–
1994	0	–
1993	10	#5,353
1992	6	#7,414
1991	5	#8,228
1990	6	#7,171
1989	7	#6,222
1988	0	–
1987	5	#6,945
1986	7	#5,327
1985	0	–
1984	0	–
1983	6	#5,481
1982	0	–
1981	6	#5,466
1980	10	#3,837
1979	6	#5,353
1978	6	#5,056
1977	0	–
1976	7	#4,416
1975	0	–
1974	9	#3,556
1973	0	–
1972	0	–
1971	6	#4,373
1970	5	#4,722
1969	0	–
1968	9	#2,906
1967	6	#3,557
1966	0	–
1965	8	#2,980
1964	5	#4,038
1963	5	#4,047
1962	0	–
1961	5	#4,063
1960	0	–
1959	15	#2,110
1958	7	#3,273
1957	5	#3,991
1956	7	#3,214
1955	7	#3,199
1954	9	#2,742
1953	6	#3,423
1952	10	#2,512
1951	0	–
1950	6	#3,328
1949	8	#2,801
1948	0	–
1947	9	#2,670
1946	8	#2,689
1945	6	#2,995
1944	10	#2,308
1943	7	#2,962
1942	0	–
1941	8	#2,655
1940	6	#3,130
1939	7	#2,829
1938	10	#2,326
1937	6	#3,175
1936	11	#2,184
1935	0	–
1934	8	#2,742
1933	12	#2,093
1932	16	#1,848
1931	6	#3,389
1930	7	#3,287
1929	9	#2,764
1928	10	#2,659
1927	8	#3,150
1926	9	#2,902
1925	14	#2,192
1924	11	#2,641
1923	8	#3,173
1922	15	#2,142
1921	13	#2,375
1920	23	#1,592
1919	9	#2,876
1918	16	#1,997
1917	12	#2,279
1916	11	#2,388
1915	11	#2,309
1914	10	#2,100
1913	12	#1,579
1912	0	–
1911	0	–
1910	0	–
1909	0	–
1908	0	–
1907	0	–
1906	0	–
1905	0	–
1904	0	–
1903	0	–
1902	0	–
1901	5	#1,057
1900	0	–
1899	0	–
1898	0	–
1897	5	#1,056
1896	0	–
1895	5	#1,078
1894	0	–
1893	6	#906

Names like Reuel

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

Ezra, Reuben, Ellis, Rupert, Leo, Axel, Milo, Jasper, Arlo, Isaac, Raphael, Theo

Other spellings of Reuel

Ruel

More Hebrew names

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

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, “Reuel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/reuel, updated 20 October 2026.