Boys' name · peaked in 1895
Reuben name popularity since 1925
24,347 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Reuben. Half of them were born in 1977 or earlier, so the typical Reuben is about 49 years old in 2026. Reuben peaked in 1895 as the #155 name for boys, and it ranked #889 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 24,347
- Named Reuben, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1895
- #155 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #889
- for boys in 2025 (269 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.9% boys
- 29 girls · 24,318 boys
- Most popular in
- Pennsylvania
- 1.73× its national share
Peak year is the year Reuben made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Reuben births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1927. Measured as a share of all babies, Reuben peaked earlier, in 1895.
- Fastest rise: Between 1969 and 1974, Reuben became 1.7× more common, from 1 in 11,200 baby boys to 1 in 6,420.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Reuben's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Reuben.
Decade by decade
Babies named Reuben in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 11 | 1,696 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 2,269 | #359 |
| 1940s | 0 | 2,060 | #442 |
| 1950s | 0 | 2,193 | #497 |
| 1960s | 0 | 2,076 | #525 |
| 1970s | 6 | 2,542 | #530 |
| 1980s | 12 | 2,759 | #523 |
| 1990s | 0 | 2,436 | #706 |
| 2000s | 0 | 2,279 | #837 |
| 2010s | 0 | 2,359 | #868 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 1,649 | #889 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
17.4% of babies named Reuben from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Reuben is most popular
The index compares Reuben's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Reuben.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1.73× | 1,682 |
| Georgia | 1.46× | 771 |
| Virginia | 1.36× | 587 |
| Arizona | 1.33× | 330 |
| Alabama | 1.32× | 446 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Reuben and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Reuben (this page) | 24,318 | 1895 |
| Rueben | 4,100 | 1911 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Reuben's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Reuben.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Reuben (1895).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data