| Reuben | Amos | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | behold, a son | Carried by God |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ROO-ben | AY-mus |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1920 (465) | 1922 (558) |
| In 2025 | 269 | 364 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Reuben | Amos |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,649 | 2,463 |
| 2010s | 2,359 | 3,243 |
| 2000s | 2,279 | 1,788 |
| 1990s | 2,436 | 1,749 |
| 1980s | 2,759 | 2,321 |
| 1970s | 2,542 | 2,155 |
| 1960s | 2,076 | 2,086 |
| 1950s | 2,193 | 2,810 |
| 1940s | 2,060 | 2,767 |
| 1930s | 2,269 | 3,343 |
| 1920s | 3,860 | 4,891 |
| 1910s | 3,274 | 3,674 |
| 1900s | 820 | 1,062 |
| 1890s | 828 | 1,023 |
| 1880s | 741 | 1,161 |
Hebrew Re'uven, literally 'behold, a son!' (re'u 'see, behold' + ben 'son'). Genesis 29:32 layers a second biblical wordplay on it: Leah says 'the LORD has looked upon (ra'ah) my affliction' — that play is theological rather than the strict etymology.
Amos means “carried” or “borne by God.” Amos is a prophet.
Amos is more popular than Reuben today: about 364 US babies were given the name Amos in 2025, compared with 269 named Reuben.
Reuben means behold, a son (hebrew origin), while Amos means Carried by God (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Reuben first appears in 1880 and Amos in 1880, so Reuben has the longer recorded history.