| Reuben | Solomon | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | behold, a son | Peace |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ROO-ben | SOL-uh-mun |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1920 (465) | 2016 (907) |
| In 2025 | 269 | 767 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Reuben | Solomon |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,649 | 4,446 |
| 2010s | 2,359 | 7,598 |
| 2000s | 2,279 | 5,631 |
| 1990s | 2,436 | 3,383 |
| 1980s | 2,759 | 2,406 |
| 1970s | 2,542 | 1,839 |
| 1960s | 2,076 | 1,281 |
| 1950s | 2,193 | 1,583 |
| 1940s | 2,060 | 1,499 |
| 1930s | 2,269 | 1,487 |
| 1920s | 3,860 | 2,766 |
| 1910s | 3,274 | 2,680 |
| 1900s | 820 | 569 |
| 1890s | 828 | 415 |
| 1880s | 741 | 486 |
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.
From the Hebrew Shelomo, from shalom, “peace.” Solomon is the wise king of Israel.
Solomon is more popular than Reuben today: about 767 US babies were given the name Solomon in 2025, compared with 269 named Reuben.
Reuben means behold, a son (hebrew origin), while Solomon means Peace (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Reuben first appears in 1880 and Solomon in 1880, so Reuben has the longer recorded history.