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