The first name Reuben
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “see [masculine plural imperative]”, “son”, “see”.
Pronounced /ˈɹu.bən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Reuben means “see [masculine plural imperative]”, “son”, “see” in Hebrew.
* From Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (r'uvén), from רְאוּ (r'ú, “see [masculine plural imperative]”) + בֵּן (ben, “son”); its literal meaning is therefore roughly, "See, all: a son!" * There are several unconfirmed etymologies for the name of the sandwich.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,412 boys were named Reuben, making it the 29th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 1,534 births (#36).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Reuben with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Reuben at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 269 boys born in the United States were named Reuben, the 889th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 465 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Reuben in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Reuben
14 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Reuben FineAmerican chess player and psychologist (1914–1993)
- Reuben GoodsteinBritish mathematician (1912-1985)
- Reuben ChapmanAmerican politician (1799–1882)
- Reuben HershAmerican mathematician (1927–2020)
- Reuben FentonAmerican politician (1819-1885)
- Reuben WoodAmerican judge (1792-1864)
- Reuben RossCanadian diver, born 1985
- Reuben AgboolaFootballer, born 1962
- Reuben LangdonFormer American stuntman and voice actor, born 1975
- Reuben RogersAmerican musician, born 1974
- Reuben Noble-LazarusBritish footballer (born 1993)
- Rube GoldbergAmerican cartoonist (1883–1970)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Reuben mean?
- Reuben means “see [masculine plural imperative]”, “son”, “see” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Reuben?
- * From Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (r'uvén), from רְאוּ (r'ú, “see [masculine plural imperative]”) + בֵּן (ben, “son”); its literal meaning is therefore roughly, "See, all: a son!" * There are several unconfirmed etymologies for the name of the sandwich.
- How popular is the name Reuben?
- In 2025, 1,412 boys born in England and Wales were named Reuben, ranking 29th. Its peak was 2021, with 1,534 births.
- What are nicknames for Reuben?
- Common nicknames for Reuben include Rube, Reubs, Reub.
- Is Reuben a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 32,190 US babies named Reuben since 1880 were boys.
- When was Reuben most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 465 babies were named Reuben, its highest rank at 254th.
- How do you pronounce Reuben?
- Reuben is /ˈɹu.bən/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Reuben?
- Ruben, Rubin and Rube.
- Is Reuben also a surname?
- Yes. Reuben is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.