Ruben

Ruben is an international form of Reuben, a biblical name commonly translated as “behold, a son.” Reuben is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah in Genesis, which supplies the name's longstanding biblical connection. Ruben appears in several European languages; Spanish normally marks the stress with the accent in Rubén. The shared root does not require identical pronunciation across all those languages.

Compared with Reuben, Ruben removes one vowel from the written form while retaining a recognizable connection. Ben is a possible short form, and Rube may appeal in some families, although it also has a less flattering independent meaning in English. Ruby can be a friendly nickname, but the gemstone name has a different etymology. Choosing Ruben does not make it a masculine translation of Ruby.