Reuven
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "behold, a son".
Name Census estimates that about 1,012 living Americans carry the first name Reuven. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Reuven today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reuven births was 2024 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reuven. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 338,690 Americans
Peak year
2024
59 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,383
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Reuven: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reuven from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 276 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reuven by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Reuven during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reuvens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, California recorded the most babies named Reuven, while California, New Jersey, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 210 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reuven
The given name Reuven is a Hebrew name derived from the Biblical Hebrew word "ra'ah," which means "to see" or "to perceive." It is a variant spelling of the name Reuben, one of the twelve sons of Jacob in the Hebrew Bible.
The name Reuven first appears in the book of Genesis, where Reuben is described as the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. According to the biblical narrative, Reuben's birth is accompanied by Leah's words: "Because the Lord has seen my misery, surely my husband will love me now" (Genesis 29:32). This reference to "seeing" and "being seen" is thought to be the origin of the name Reuven.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reuven can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to the 3rd century BCE. The name was also used among Jewish communities throughout the ancient world, as evidenced by its appearance in historical records and inscriptions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Reuven. One of the most famous was Reuven Avinoam (1919-2004), an Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament). Another was Reuven Feuerstein (1921-2014), an Israeli psychologist and scholar known for his work in cognitive modifiability and his development of the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment program.
In the realm of religion, Reuven Margolies (1899-1971) was a prominent Orthodox rabbi and head of the Novardok Yeshiva in Israel. Reuven Rivlin (1939-present) is another notable figure, having served as the 10th President of Israel from 2014 to 2022.
Additionally, Reuven Ramaty (1937-2001) was an Israeli-American astrophysicist and pioneer in the field of gamma-ray astronomy, making significant contributions to our understanding of the universe.
While the name Reuven has its roots in the Hebrew Bible, it has been embraced by Jewish communities around the world and has transcended its religious origins to become a popular name in various cultures and societies.
People
Reuven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reuven as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reuven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reuven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,012 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reuven going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 338,690 US residents.
Is Reuven a common name?
We classify Reuven as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,033 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reuven most popular?
The single biggest year for Reuven was 2024, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reuven is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reuven a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reuven in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.