Total births
32,145
Boys' name · since 1880
Reuben
Reuben has 32,145 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #857
- among boys today
- 32,145
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
32,145 babies have been named Reuben since 1880, making it today's #857 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Reuben has been recorded 32,145 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #857 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #857 among boys today
- 32,145 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Reuben is currently the #857 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 32,145 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #857
- among boys today
- 32,145
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Reuben vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#857
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Reuben was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
465 babies were named Reuben in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Reuben compares
32,145 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Reuben's all-time total is 88x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Reuben | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,145 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 465 | 23 | 22,252 |
Reuben's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Reuben's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 55% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 45%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1887, with only 54 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 465, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Reuben at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1920
Current rank
#857
Active since
1880
Reuben popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 465
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Reuben popularity over time - girls
45 total births recorded since 1918 (Reuben as girls' name)
Reuben by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Reuben's strongest decade.
3,860 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Reuben births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 741
1880s
741 births
- 1890s 828
1890s
828 births
- 1900s 820
1900s
820 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,274 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,860 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,269 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,060 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,193 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,076 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,542 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,759 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,436 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,279 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,359 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,649 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,860 births (12% of all-time use).
How Reuben compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Reuben's total volume
Reuben vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Reuben by state
Where Reuben concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,434 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,262 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,995 | 6.2% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,789 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,202 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 1,050 | 3.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 876 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 866 | 2.7% |
California share of Reuben's total US births 7.6%
Even split
2,434 of 32,145 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Reuben appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Reuben? ▼
Reuben has been given to 32,145 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #857 as of the latest data. 465 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Reuben most popular? ▼
Reuben was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,860 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Reuben most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Reuben are California (2,434 births), Texas (2,262 births), Pennsylvania (1,995 births).
How long has the name Reuben been used? ▼
Reuben has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Reuben? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Reuven, Reuel, Reubin, Reus, and 1 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Reuben's data
- Reuben's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (3,860 total births) through the 2020s (1,649) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Reubens (2,434 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Reuben
Nearby Names Like Reuben
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Reuben
Reuven Boy
#2379 1,091 births
Reuel Boy
#3989 958 births
Reubin Boy
636 births
Reus Boy
18 births
Reu Boy
5 births
Compare Reuben side by side: Reuben vs Reuven Reuben vs Reuel Reuben vs Reubin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Reuben
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Reuben: #857 Boys' Name - 32,145 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/reuben. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Reuben draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.