Rube

Rube is an English given name functioning as a short form of Reuben, which derives from the Hebrew name Re'uven, traditionally interpreted as meaning see, a son or alternatively connected to a root meaning to be seen or to have compassion. In the Hebrew Bible, Reuben is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, making the name prominent in Israelite tradition. Rube gained independent colloquial use in American English, and its most famous bearer was the cartoonist Rube Goldberg, celebrated for his drawings of absurdly complicated contraptions. The full form Reuben, along with the variant Ruben, remains the more widespread given name across multiple languages and cultures.