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Rube
How to Pronounce Rube
Pronounced ROOB /ΛruΛb/High
Meaning: Rube is a short form of Reuben, from the Hebrew re'uven, traditionally read as 'behold, a son'. Reuben was the eldest son of Jacob in the Bible. As a stand-alone name Rube belongs to the informal nineteenth-century fashion, and it was famously borne by the cartoonist Rube Goldberg.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Rube is a clipped form of Reuben, from the Hebrew for 'behold, a son'. Used on its own in the casual style of the late eighteen-hundreds, its best-known bearer was the cartoonist and engineer Rube Goldberg, whose elaborate machines became a byword.
It was never common, a couple dozen boys a year at most around the nineteen-teens, and it faded through the century. A boy given it then would be a great-grandfather now, and it reads as an old short name rather than a modern choice.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
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Rube Goldberg (1883-1970)an American cartoonist and engineer whose name became a byword for a needlessly complicated machine
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Rube mean?
It's a short form of Reuben, from the Hebrew meaning 'behold, a son'.
How do you pronounce Rube?
It's said ROOB /ΛruΛb/, one syllable.
Is Rube a boy or girl name?
Rube is used as a boy's name.
Is Rube a popular name?
No, it was always rare, an old short form of Reuben seen only slightly in the early twentieth century.