Rueben: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,929

among boys · ↑1,682 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Rueben

How common

1 in 61,003

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1921

72 babies

All-time total

4,871

#1,804 all-time among boys

First recorded

1886

in Social Security records

Rueben popularity over time

4,871 babies have been named Rueben since 1886, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	7	1	–	#833
1890s	26	3	+271%	#869
1900s	41	4	+58%	#850
1910s	376	38	+817%	#818
1920s	579	58	+54%	#802
1930s	314	31	-46%	#989
1940s	311	31	-1%	#1,044
1950s	398	40	+28%	#1,039
1960s	422	42	+6%	#1,037
1970s	507	51	+20%	#1,080
1980s	576	58	+14%	#1,121
1990s	508	51	-12%	#1,315
2000s	391	39	-23%	#1,864
2010s	277	28	-29%	#3,158
2020s (to 2025)	138	23	-17%	#3,756

Where Rueben is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	28	0.02	outside top 500
2027	28	0.02	outside top 500
2028	27	0.02	outside top 500
2029	27	0.02	outside top 500
2030	27	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Rueben

Rueben is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,929 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1886, 4,871 American babies have been named Rueben. Its peak came in 1921, when 72 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Rueben stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rueben?

The median living Rueben is about 41 years old; half are between 25 and 58. An estimated 3,200 people named Rueben are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Rueben year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	28	#3,929
2024	17	#5,611
2023	24	#4,439
2022	30	#3,756
2021	25	#4,210
2020	14	#6,223
2019	34	#3,415
2018	27	#3,977
2017	29	#3,752
2016	22	#4,587
2015	26	#4,053
2014	30	#3,601
2013	29	#3,643
2012	36	#3,158
2011	22	#4,477
2010	22	#4,492
2009	39	#3,033
2008	40	#2,996
2007	37	#3,125
2006	23	#4,196
2005	29	#3,436
2004	47	#2,412
2003	39	#2,613
2002	33	#2,873
2001	60	#1,864
2000	44	#2,246
1995	47	#1,859
1990	72	#1,315
1985	46	#1,475
1980	66	#1,121
1975	58	#1,112
1970	47	#1,218
1965	44	#1,140
1960	49	#1,130
1955	40	#1,194
1950	40	#1,137
1945	25	#1,344
1940	23	#1,428
1935	33	#1,161
1930	48	#989
1925	53	#931
1920	51	#971
1915	50	#876
1910	9	#1,183
1905	7	#1,073
1900	–	–
1895	6	#1,064
1890	7	#869
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Rueben, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rueben?

The median living Rueben is about 41 years old. Half of all living Ruebens are between 25 and 58 years old.

How many people named Rueben are alive today?

An estimated 3,200 people named Rueben are alive in the United States, based on 4,871 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Rueben in 2025?

Rueben ranked #3,929 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rueben?

4,871 babies have been named Rueben in the United States since 1886, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rueben most popular?

Rueben peaked in 1921, when 72 newborns received the name.

Is Rueben a boy or girl name?

Rueben is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rueben rising or falling?

Rueben has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Rueben become more popular?

Rueben looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 27 boys named Rueben in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Rueben

Names that sound and feel close to Rueben: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Rueben with similar names → More names starting with R →