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.

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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

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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

Just four players are out of contract this summer - Issa Kabore, Jay Rodriguez, Reuben Egan and Aaron James.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Reuben says: "It's just amazing – not only that he's my father, but also that he's a really amicable person."

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Sauerkraut has long been a bit player in the American diet, topping the occasional hot dog or Reuben sandwich.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

Investors are likely to conclude that investments and narrower profit margins are required to stem losses in market share, said Reuben Garner, an analyst Benchmark Equity Research.

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

Thankfully, he has the whole play memorized, but he plays the part of Reuben like a soft-spoken elderly accountant.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli