Home › Baby Names Directory › Reuben

Reuben

♂ Boy

Pronounced ROO-ben /ˈruː.bɛn/High

Meaning: From Hebrew Re'uven, meaning behold, a son — from re'u (behold, look) and ben (son); the name Leah gives her firstborn son in Genesis 29:32, expressing her hope that her husband Jacob will now love herHigh

In 30 seconds: Reuben is an ancient Hebrew name meaning behold, a son, given by the matriarch Leah to her firstborn son in Genesis, making him the eponymous ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
💕 Browse more names
Origin HighHebrew
MeaningFrom Hebrew Re'uven, meaning behold, a son — from re'u (behold, look) and ben (son); the name Leah gives her firstborn son in Genesis 29:32, expressing her hope that her husband Jacob will now love her
U.S. rank (2025)#889 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births269 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 32,120

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Reuben comes from Hebrew Re'uven, composed of re'u (behold, see) and ben (son), meaning behold, a son. In Genesis 29:32 Leah names her firstborn Reuben with the words, Because the LORD has seen my misery; surely my husband will love me now. Reuben grew up to become the eldest of Jacob's twelve sons and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the biblical narrative he is a morally complex figure — protecting his brother Joseph from being killed but unable to prevent his sale into slavery.

Reuben entered English use with the Puritan embrace of Old Testament names in the 16th and 17th centuries and has remained in steady if unspectacular use ever since. It is popular in Jewish communities worldwide and in nonconformist Protestant traditions. In the United Kingdom it has been experiencing a notable revival since the 2000s, ranking in the top 100 boys names in England and Wales. In the United States it carries a warm, slightly old-fashioned charm similar to Samuel and Ezra. The Reuben sandwich — a deli classic — is a cultural touchstone that keeps the name in American consciousness.

Did you know? In the Genesis narrative, Leah names her son Reuben as a declaration that God has seen her suffering (being unloved by Jacob) and granted her a son — embedding a poignant story of maternal longing into the very etymology of the name.
Overall data confidence 93%
Behind the Name — Reuben — etymology and historyGenesis 29:32 (Hebrew Bible) — primary biblical source

Variations

RubenRubinRe'uven

Nicknames

RubeRoo

Famous Bearers

  • ★Reuben James (1776–1838)
    American sailor and boatswain's mate in the early U.S. Navy who served in the First Barbary War; the destroyer USS Reuben James was named after him.

If you like Reuben…

Ezra— short Hebrew Old Testament boys name experiencing the same 21st-century revival
Silas— two-syllable biblical boys name with the same understated vintage warmth
Amos— short, uncommon Old Testament boys name in the same quiet-revival tradition
Levi— two-syllable Hebrew tribal name from the same Genesis context as Reuben

Frequently Asked

What does the name Reuben mean?

Reuben comes from Hebrew meaning behold, a son — the words Leah spoke when she named her firstborn in Genesis 29:32.

How do you pronounce Reuben?

It is said ROO-ben — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Reuben a Jewish name?

Reuben has deep roots in Jewish tradition as the eldest of Jacob's twelve sons and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel, and is used in Jewish communities worldwide.

Is Reuben popular?

Reuben is in the top 100 boys names in England and Wales and is growing in the United States as part of the biblical name revival.