Where does the name Ruben come from?

Ruben is a boy name of Hebrew origin.

Is Ruben a boy or a girl name?

Ruben is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 115,313 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Ruben in 2023?

Ruben ranks #482 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1992 with 1,805 babies.

How do you pronounce Ruben?

Ruben is pronounced ROO-ben (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Ruben?

Ruben is also written as Reuben, Rubén, Ruvain.

A name from Hebrew · Boy

Ruben

Spanish and Scandinavian form of Reuben, from Hebrew Re'uven meaning 'behold, a son'. The biblical Reuben was the eldest of Jacob's twelve sons and progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

115,313 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

629 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

RSpanish and Scandinavian form of Reuben, from Hebrew Re'uven meaning 'behold, a son'. The biblical Reuben was the eldest of Jacob's twelve sons and progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Ruben".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Reuben Most common Rubén Ruvain

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Ruben.

R
Rubén Blades (Panamanian singer and politician)
R
Ruben Studdard (American Idol winner)

Quick answers

People often ask about Ruben.

What does the name Ruben mean?: Ruben means spanish and Scandinavian form of Reuben, from Hebrew Re'uven meaning 'behold, a son'. The biblical Reuben was the eldest of Jacob's twelve sons and progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel.
Where does the name Ruben come from?: Ruben is a boy name of Hebrew origin.
Is Ruben a boy or a girl name?: Ruben is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 115,313 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Ruben in 2023?: Ruben ranks #482 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1992 with 1,805 babies.
How do you pronounce Ruben?: Ruben is pronounced ROO-ben (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Ruben?: Ruben is also written as Reuben, Rubén, Ruvain.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.