Reuben is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Reuben means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Reuben across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Reuben has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Reuben is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “behold, a son”. The biblical name of Jacob's eldest son.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 32,190 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 25,000 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,643 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,214 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 922 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,728 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Reuben per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2018 (1,504/yr) · United States peaked in 1920 (465/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2021 (112/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2017 (68/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2012 (55/yr).
Reuben has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1920, when it ranked #558 nationally (given to 465 babies that year).
Robin · Ruben · Robyn · Robbin · Rubin · Rueben · Rabon · Robbyn
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