Thirty years of Ruben
Ruben in numbers
Ruben has climbed from 49 boys in 1996 to 527 in 2025, close to its peak of 540 in 2021. Its biggest three-year rise came between 2002 and 2005, from 128 to 255. It ranked 419th in 1996 and reached 100th in 2025, its best place so far: fewer babies get the name than at its peak, but the names above it have fallen further. On average it was given to 49 boys a year in the late 1990s, 197 in the 2000s, 367 in the 2010s and 485 in the 2020s so far.
† Shapes, averages and turning points are Baby Data calculations from the ONS counts.
Similar spellings in the 2025 list†: Reuben (1,412), Robin (485), Rueben (107), Robyn (7), Rubin (5). Matched by their letters, not by meaning or origin. ONS counts each spelling separately, so these are not added to Ruben.
Milestones
First year in each bandChange
- On last year+21%435 to 527
- 5 years+16%454 to 527
- 10 years+41%374 to 527
- 20 years+107%255 to 527
- Since 1996×1149 to 527
- Total, 1996 to 20258,741boys
† All changes and totals are Baby Data calculations from ONS counts. A total adds only the published years.
Across the three nations, 2025
Each from its own statistics office, never added togetherRank 100 · ONS · 435 in 2024
Rank 152 · NRS · 37 in 2024
Rank 270 · NISRA · 7 in 2024
England and Wales (ONS) count births in the calendar year; Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland (NISRA) count births registered in the year. Each comes from its own statistics office and they are never added together.
Year by year, 1996 to 2025 Show all 30 yearsHide the table
| Year | Rank | Babies | Change† | 1 in X† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | 527 | +21% | 1 in 571 |
| 2024 | 126 | 435 | -8% | 1 in 701 |
| 2023 | 112 | 471 | -2% | 1 in 643 |
| 2022 | =114 | 480 | -11% | 1 in 647 |
| 2021 | 110 | 540 | +19% | 1 in 593 |
| 2020 | 123 | 454 | +6% | 1 in 693 |
| 2019 | 132 | 429 | -1% | 1 in 767 |
| 2018 | 132 | 435 | +22% | 1 in 776 |
| 2017 | =159 | 358 | -1% | 1 in 972 |
| 2016 * | 163 | 363 | -3% | 1 in 981 |
| 2015 | =153 | 374 | +4% | 1 in 958 |
| 2014 | 158 | 361 | -2% | 1 in 988 |
| 2013 | =156 | 370 | +9% | 1 in 969 |
| 2012 | =172 | 341 | +7% | 1 in 1,098 |
| 2011 | 176 | 318 | +0% | 1 in 1,167 |
| 2010 | 174 | 318 | +2% | 1 in 1,167 |
| 2009 | 172 | 313 | +20% | 1 in 1,157 |
| 2008 | 188 | 260 | +6% | 1 in 1,396 |
| 2007 | 194 | 246 | +6% | 1 in 1,441 |
| 2006 | =188 | 233 | -9% | 1 in 1,470 |
| 2005 | =172 | 255 | +26% | 1 in 1,296 |
| 2004 | =191 | 203 | +27% | 1 in 1,617 |
| 2003 | =214 | 160 | +25% | 1 in 1,990 |
| 2002 | 232 | 128 | +24% | 1 in 2,391 |
| 2001 | =270 | 103 | +49% | 1 in 2,957 |
| 2000 | =351 | 69 | +21% | 1 in 4,487 |
| 1999 | =396 | 57 | +12% | 1 in 5,601 |
| 1998 | =419 | 51 | +27% | 1 in 6,390 |
| 1997 | =476 | 40 | -18% | 1 in 8,239 |
| 1996 | =419 | 49 | 1 in 6,806 |
* ONS’s boys’ 2016 file repeats the October total as September, so the 2016 births total is about 932 too low and 1 in X for 2016 is slightly too low. Rank follows ONS: names with the same count share a rank (shown with =). “Under 3” means the name was given to fewer than 3 babies that year, so ONS did not publish it.
Compare Ruben
Draws the second name on the chart above, on a shared scale.
Share and download
Ruben is in the free dataset (CSV and JSON), with the method and how to cite it.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; National Records of Scotland; NISRA. Exact spellings are counted separately and names given to fewer than 3 babies are not published. Figures marked † are Baby Data calculations. How we calculate