Reuben

American  

[roo-buhn] / ˈru bən /

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Genesis 29, 30.

2. one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the tribe traditionally descended from him.

3. Reuben sandwich.

4. a male given name.

---

Reuben British  

/ ˈruːbɪn /

noun

1. the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)

2. the Israelite tribe descended from him

3. the territory of this tribe, lying to the northeast of the Dead Sea

---

Etymology

Origin of Reuben

From Late Latin Ruben, from Greek Rhoubḗn, from Hebrew Rĕʾūbhēn, of uncertain origin, but traditionally translated as “Behold, a son!” and associated with Rāʾāh bĕʿōnī “He (God) has looked upon my affliction” (by granting Leah a son)

Example Sentences

Some—like the Shakespeare-reading New Hampshire farmer John Ordway and the Kentucky woodsmen Joseph and Reuben Field—were poor and bored and ready for adventure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The previous ambassador, Reuben Brigety, resigned in November 2024, just before Trump took office.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

UCLA’s offensive line will also be back at full strength with the expected return of guard Garrett DiGiorgio and tackle Reuben Unije from injuries.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

Years later, once Rebecca had given birth to Asher and Fiona was pregnant with Reuben, the couple were desperate to contact the man who had given them the opportunity to have children.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Natalie’s mom and Patience had helped her write her closing speech, but the ideas were Natalie’s—thought out in the days and weeks and months of difficult recovery after Hurricane Reuben.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz