Given name & surname
Reuven
“behold, a son!”
Reuven is a variant of Reuben. One Hebrew interpretation is “behold, a son!.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Reuven is a variant of Reuben. One Hebrew interpretation is “behold, a son!.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Reuven is a variant of Reuben. An origin associated with Reuben is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1959. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Reuven is a variant of Reuben. The history of Reuben gives this family its wider story. Reuben appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Reuven through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,091
- 1,091 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 59 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #2,383 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +38%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 58 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,383 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 37.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New Jersey had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 996 as a first name in 2020; a sample rank of No. 68,669 among surnames in 1990.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Reuven
- Reuven Rivlin10th President of Israel (2014–2021)born 1939
- Reuven ShiloahDirector of Mossad from 1949 to 19531909–1959
- Reuven FeuersteinIsraeli educator (1921-2014)
- Reuven DafniCroatian-Israeli soldier and diplomat (1913-2005)
- Reuven AtarIsraeli footballerborn 1969
- Reuven BarkatIsraeli diplomat (1906-1972)
- Reuven RubinIsraeli artist (1893-1974)
- Reuven ShariIsraeli politician (1903-1989)
- Reuven AmitaiIsraeli-American historian and writerborn 1955
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Reuven, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Enoc
“experienced” · “one who is dedicated to God”
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“fruitful” · “one who is fertile; productive”
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Efren
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Yakov
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Mordecai
“devotee of the god Marduk” · “a servant of Marduk, a Babylonian god”
>99% boys