Find out how popular the last name Reuben is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Reuben.

Reuben, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Reuben surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reuben in America

Reuben is the 21774th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reuben surname appeared 1,194 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Reuben.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reuben to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Reuben

Reuben is a Hebrew surname that originated from the biblical name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, Reuben. The name itself is derived from the Hebrew phrase "ra'ah ben" which translates to "behold, a son." It is believed that the surname first emerged in the Middle Ages among Jewish communities across Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Reuben can be traced back to the 13th century in Germany. In the town of Mainz, there are records of a family named Reuben residing within the Jewish quarter. Some of the earliest variations of the spelling include Reuven, Reuven, and Reubin.

During the medieval period, the surname Reuben was also found in various Jewish communities throughout France and England. In England, the surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of 1186, which were records of taxes paid to the Crown. One notable individual from this period was Rabbi Reuben ben Hayyim (1240-1310), a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher from Barcelona.

As Jews were expelled from various regions of Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Reuben began to spread across the continent. Records show Reuben families settling in Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this time was Rabbi Reuben Hoeshke (1505-1585), a Polish rabbi and Talmudic scholar.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Reuben became more widespread as Jewish communities established themselves in new regions. One example is Reuben Elijah Muzhinger (1677-1749), a prominent German-Jewish scholar and writer from Worms.

As the surname Reuben continued to spread, it also became associated with various place names. For instance, in the 19th century, there were Reuben families residing in the towns of Reuben and Reubenville in Ohio, United States. Additionally, there was a notable English author and playwright named Reuben Bourne (1808-1870) during the Victorian era.

Throughout history, the surname Reuben has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, rabbis, writers, and artists. Despite its Hebrew origins, it has become a surname found across many different cultures and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reuben

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Reuben.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Reuben was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Reuben has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Reuben was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Reuben, please contact us.

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