🔥Reuben

Hebrew
"behold, a son"

Reuben Origin and Meaning

The name Reuben is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "behold, a son".

Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a, meaning "to see, to understand," and ben, "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel.

Reuben is a rich and resonant underused Old Testament choice with several ingredients for success: its biblical pedigree, the distinction of being one of the Hebrew baby names that's never been heavily used, and a friendly, down-home image. Maybe the current crowd of Jacobs will grow up and follow their biblical namesake by calling their own sons Reuben.

Only downsides: Reuben is also known as a sandwich, and is the source of the word rube.

Panama-born salsa singer Ruben Blades represents the Latin version (with the accent on the second syllable); Reuven is the name in Hebrew.

# 815 in the US

Reuben Rank in US Top 1000

# 392 on Nameberry

Reuben Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Reuben Popularity

Famous People Named Reuben

  • Reuben
    eldest son of Jacob in the Bible
  • Reuben Eaton Fenton
    U.S. Congressman from New York
  • Reuben Fine
    American chess grandmaster, psychologist and author
  • Reuben Wood
    American politician; 21st governor of Ohio
  • Reuben Droughns
    American NFL football player
  • Reuben David Thorne
    New Zealand rugby union player
  • Jacob Reuben Marchand aka J. Reu
    American rapper
  • Reuben Edward Maher
    father of American actress/singer Kaitlyn Maher
  • Reuben Logan (b. 2005)
    son of athletes Kenny and Gabby Logan; twin of sister Lois
  • Reuben Hogarth (b. 2007)
    son of singer Sarah Nixey and producer Jimmy Hogarth
  • Reuben Shepherd (b. 2013)
    son of actor Jack P. Shepherd

Reuben in Pop Culture

  • Reuben Ainsworth
    character on TV's "Skins"
  • Reuben Tishkoff
    character in "Ocean's" series
  • Reuben
    character on TV's "iCarly"
  • Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn
    main character in book/film "True Grit"
  • Reuben
    English alt rock band
  • Reuben Gale
    character in G. A. Henty's "Under Drake's Flag"
  • Reuben Starkadder
    character in "Cold Comfort Farm"
  • Reuben
    pig in the game "Minecraft Story Mode"
  • Reuben sandwich
    American hot sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread
  • Reuben egg rolls
    sometimes called "Irish egg rolls" or "Reuben balls", use the standard Reuben sandwich filling of corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese inside a deep,fried egg roll wrapper. Typically served with Thousand Island dressing (instead of Russian dressing) as an appetizer or snack, they originated at Mader's, a German restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where chef Dennis Wegner created them for a summer festival circa 1990.
  • Reuben
    a Bulldog who became a YouTube sensation