Ruben
How to say it: ROO-bun · /ˈrubən/
Variant of Reuben; from Hebrew meaning 'behold, a son'. Firstborn son of Jacob in the Bible.
Ruben was the 358th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 632 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 19% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #373 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #358 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 632 |
| Share of births | 1 in 3,568 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −19% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #373 |
| In France, 2025 | #269 among boys’ names, 200 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Present without a break, Ruben saw its greatest share in the 1990s. Now sitting well under that mark, more softening is foreseen.
What goes with it
Crisp edges meet softness in Ruben, with a biblical background. Rafael aligns in feel.
Nicknames
- Rube
- Ruby
Honouring a Ruben in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ruben is about 1 in 149.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #269 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #100. Ireland: #196.
Famous people named Ruben
- Ruben Amorim (born 1985)Portuguese professional football manager and former player
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek (born 1996)English association football player
- Ruben Östlund (born 1974)Swedish film director and screenwriter
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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