My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Is this name soaring in popularity or is it me? How many do you know?

50 replies

Pinkflipflop · 30/04/2013 20:32

Reuben?

Since my ds was born I've noticed lots of little Reubens!

Do you become more aware of the name if you have a dc with it?

Just interested!

OP posts:
Report
ilovemydogandMrObama · 30/04/2013 20:34

There are 2 in DD1's class, and 3 in DS Reception Class.

Report
EleanorFarjeon · 30/04/2013 20:35

I think it has become more popular.

Lots of Jewish type names are - there are Theos, Ethans, Zacs and a new Malachi at my ds' school.

Report
mrspaddy · 30/04/2013 20:39

I haven't heard it used on baby boys of late... it's lovely.
Many years ago my RE teacher taught us a song to learn the 12 sons of Abraham.. to the tune of Heads, Shoulders Knees and Toes.. Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Judah, Dan and Naphtalie, Issacer, Sebulon and Gad, Asher, Joseph and Bejamin.. apologies for spelling errors.. Can't believe that just entered my head :)

Report
jenniferturkington · 30/04/2013 20:40

I don't know any, and have never taught any.

Report
cece · 30/04/2013 20:41

I don't know anyone.

Report
Pinkflipflop · 30/04/2013 20:45

mrspaddy Grin

OP posts:
Report
Pinkflipflop · 30/04/2013 20:46

You know I don't really mind if it is popular just as long as it doesn't get too popular!

OP posts:
Report
susiedaisy · 30/04/2013 20:47

Yes it is getting more popular, I love it thoughSmile

Report
Pinkflipflop · 30/04/2013 20:48

Now I really like Levi if ds ever had a little brother!

OP posts:
Report
peachypips · 30/04/2013 20:51

Funny- I was just thinking that today! There were two at toddlers and I know another two as well. It's because it's such a lovely name- sounds kind of warm and 'glowy'.

Report
JennyMackerz · 30/04/2013 20:53

I love it and my 11 year old was nearly a Reuben but the only Reubens I know are actually adults, even though it does say 'child' more than adult. (at the moment)

I love Saul, I don't understand why that's not more popular.

Report
ItsYoniYappy · 30/04/2013 20:54

Oh erm I had a cat named Reuben

Report
JennyMackerz · 30/04/2013 20:55

You do become more aware of names after your children are born. My son's name is in the four hundreds but there are at least two others in my average size town. That must be a cluster!

Report
Rhubarbgarden · 30/04/2013 21:10

I only actually know one (spelt Rubin) but it's a name you hear being yelled in playgrounds and at baby groups with great regularity.

Report
amessagetoyouYoni · 30/04/2013 21:11

I only know one, aged 4. Lovely name.

Report
thermalsinapril · 30/04/2013 21:13

I've only ever met one young Reuben and that was a few decades ago! It's a lovely classic Biblical name, so won't date in the same way as some names which suddenly shoot into fashion.

Report
MummyBurrows · 30/04/2013 21:30

I don't know any personally but I think it is becoming more popular,it gets mentioned quite a bit on here as a contender for many peoples DSs name...

I think you do become more aware of a name once you have a child with that name though. I've not had that problem (surprisingly) with my dds name but quite a few of my friends have said "when I picked X's name there were no kids called that,but now they're everywhere!"

Report
5madthings · 30/04/2013 21:34

My ds2 is oscar reuben, he is almost 11, we liked the name and its also the middle name of a very good friend of ours who is essentially an uncle to our children.

It is more popular, but not massively so.

I know of two reubens both younger than mine.

Report
AngiBolen · 30/04/2013 21:42

Yes, there are more Rubens around here than there used to be.

I seem to have some sort of special "nose" for names, liking obscure names which shoot to popularity overnight.

I have a 10yo Oscar....but don't really like the name Reuben.

Make of that what you will.

Grin

I think you need to check the national statistics to see if a name really is becoming more popular.

Report
3boysgirlontheway · 01/05/2013 03:19

My 5 year old is Levi Reuben, and his brother is Saul :)

Report
TheRealFellatio · 01/05/2013 04:02

I don't know any Reubens but then I am old and my children are all above 13. but I have noticed a rise in the last 5 years or so in the number of Jewish or Old Testament biblical names, mostly for boys, but a few girls ones as well. Those, and Welsh/Cornish names seem to have taken over from the Celtic thing that was going on all through the 90's and the noughties.

It's funny because people on MN often say 'oh, Liam/Caitlin/Ryan/Riley is a so common and chav' and then they will coo and bill over Seren or Evan or Eleri or Celyn, but in ten years time someone else will be on here saying the same thing about those, or all the Noahs and the Ashers!

I have decided you either have to:

Pick from the classics

Pick truly outlandish and totally unheard of things, or names which are deeply unfashionable because they are from your own or your parents generation, rather than from your grandparents, and that don't follow any kind of emerging trend (see Celtic/Jewish/shakespearean or whatever)

Pick what you like and really not care if there will be four in the class or if someone thinks its common.

Otherwise you are doomed.

Report
kerala · 01/05/2013 12:20

Reuben, Noah, Jacob all super popular round here.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Kelly1992 · 01/05/2013 12:28

I only know 2 Reuben's. But Riley, Leyton, Alfie, Archie and Jack are really popular around here.

Report
JennyMackerz · 01/05/2013 12:45

Absolutely agree. Any emerging trend at all, avoid it.

I wonder if the next trend might be Pope's names, or a 'Catholic Classics' as an alternative to Royal Classics or English Classics. Obviously Charles, William, Edward, Harry all done to death now. I'm wondering if the new pope could spark a mini revival of Francis/Gregory/Benedict/Leo - already quite popular? Nicholas/sylvester (Sylvester maybe doesn't have the classic note the others have! but I can see it rising in a Felix kind of way). What else? Victor, Pascal, Dominic, Peter (not all of them Popes names necessarily but good saints at the least?? Paul - hmm not yet perhaps. Later. But John. I know a few babies called John and I think their parents thought that their John would be the only John for a hundred miles. Not so. John is creeping back.

For girls, Josephine and Tessa seem too much like school names for me, but I have seen them suggested on mn recently. Agatha, Mary - on the rise?

With the Catholic church re-branding itself, I see this as a potential new trend. People who had previously turned their back on their catholic roots and calling their children either Irish names or English classics - deciding to return to the old names.

Obviously I have to say this is just based on a hunch about the next "emerging trend". If you think I'm talking utter shite you are as liekly to be right as I am! Smile

Report
JennyMackerz · 01/05/2013 12:47

That essay was for The realfellatio

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.