Aaron vs Reuben
Aaron and Reubencompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Reuben #33 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Reuben #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Reuben #38 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2010, Aaron was ranked #70 and Reuben #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Reuben #156 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Reuben #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Aaron and Reuben over time
Aaron and Reuben appear together in 4 published lists, across 116 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Reuben in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Reuben in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Reuben moved ahead of Aaron in England and Wales · Boys — #58 and #72 the year before became #69 and #68.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Reuben changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1982 and 2010, ending at #70 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Aaron and Reuben averaged 32.7 places apart, ending at #70 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Reuben were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 38 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #71 and #156.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Reuben in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Reuben #125 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Reuben #156.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Reuben in 13.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Reuben #33 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Reuben moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #58 and #72; by 2012 that had become #69 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Reuben #33.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Reuben in 10.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Reuben #32 in 2023.
The order changed in 2015: Reuben moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #52 and #60; by 2015 that had become #59 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Reuben #34.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1982–2010
Aaron held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Reuben in 6.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #22 in 1982, Reuben #44 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Aaron #70, Reuben #86.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Reuben |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #85 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Reuben does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Reuben both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Reuben doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Reuben
Popularity journey
First recorded1972
First recorded at #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1972 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #32 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys