Ruben
Boy name · Hebrew · Scandinavian · Spanish
Meaningbehold, a son · Spanish form of Reuben
- US rank
- #480
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #165 in 1980
632 babies were named Ruben in the US in 2025. It has dropped 15 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Ruben you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Ruben
Ruben Amorim
Portuguese professional football manager and former player
Choose Ruben and your child shares a first name with Ruben Amorim, a Portuguese professional football manager and former player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ruben, like who?” Ruben Amorim's Wikipedia article is available in 46 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Ruben Amorim on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Agência Lusa, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 2,703 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ruben, 632 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ruben would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRuben has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Rubens, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1980, when it reached #165.
- Then vs nowRuben was 2.4× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,143 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,703.
- Where it's lovedRuben is most popular in California, where it ranks #234, followed by New Mexico (#236) and Texas (#239). It's in the top 1,000 in 27 states.
- MeaningRuben is a Spanish form of Reuben, which means “behold, a son”. Our records link it to Hebrew, Scandinavian and Spanish roots.
- OriginRuben is the #8 most popular Scandinavian boy name in the US. That's out of 259 Scandinavian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Ruben
Ruben is a boy name of Hebrew, Scandinavian and Spanish origin meaning “behold, a son”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-ben”. US birth records list Ruben for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked #165 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #480, with 632 babies.
Origin:Hebrew namesScandinavian namesSpanish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 274 | 3,651 boys |
| 1890s | 325 | 3,078 boys |
| 1900s | 369 | 2,711 boys |
| 1910s | 306 | 3,263 boys |
| 1920s | 376 | 2,661 boys |
| 1930s | 440 | 2,275 boys |
| 1940s | 418 | 2,392 boys |
| 1950s | 611 | 1,636 boys |
| 1960s | 656 | 1,524 boys |
| 1970s | 823 | 1,216 boys |
| 1980s | 805 | 1,242 boys |
| 1990s | 869 | 1,151 boys |
| 2000s | 772 | 1,296 boys |
| 2010s | 464 | 2,157 boys |
| 2020s | 369 | 2,708 boys |
More Hebrew boy names
- Unisex name: Noah · rest, comfort
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Elijah · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Levi · joined, attached
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
Questions about the name Ruben
What does the name Ruben mean?
Ruben means “behold, a son” in Spanish, as a form of Reuben.
What is the origin of the name Ruben?
Ruben has Hebrew, Scandinavian, Spanish roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Noah, James, Elijah.
Is Ruben a boy or girl name?
Ruben is a boy name.
How popular is the name Ruben?
Ruben ranked #480 for US boys in 2025, given to 632 babies. Its best year was 1980 (#165).