Reuben
Reuben is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “behold, a son.” It ranked #889 in the United States in 2025. Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah.
how do you pronounce Reuben?
ROO-ben
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Reuben mean?
The name Reuben means “behold, a son.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. Leah named him Reuben ('behold, a son') because she hoped his birth would win Jacob's love. The Tribe of Reuben settled east of the Jordan River. The name has a warm, approachable quality. It also evokes the beloved Reuben sandwich, giving it an unexpected folksy charm.
where does the name Reuben come from?
Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree that Reuben comes from Hebrew re'u plus ben, literally something like see, a son, and Wikipedia specifies this as the meaning behold, a son.
the history of Reuben
Wikipedia confirms Reuben as a biblical first name, identifying him as the firstborn son of Jacob, matching the meaning the sources give for why Leah chose it.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #889 |
| 2024 | #860 |
| 2023 | #812 |
| 2022 | #852 |
| 2021 | #883 |
| 2020 | #909 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Reuben?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Reuben?
- Reuben (biblical firstborn son of Jacob)
- Reuben Sandwich (iconic American deli sandwich)
what names are similar to Reuben?
what names go well with Reuben?
Sibling names that share Reuben's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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