Reuel as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Reuel

What is the meaning of the name Reuel ?

The baby name Reuel is a Male name , 32 syllables long and is pronounced reh-OO-el (approx. /rɛˈuːɛl/) ; common English: ROO-uhl (approx. /ˈruːəl/).

Reuel is Hebrew in Origin.

Reuel is a biblical Hebrew name (Reʾuʾel, רְעוּאֵל), from reʿa “friend/companion” + ʾEl “God,” meaning “friend of God” or “God is a friend.” Appearing several times in the Hebrew Bible, it names the Midianite priest who is Moses’ father-in-law (elsewhere called Jethro), an Edomite chief descended from Esau, and other minor figures. In Greek and Latin scriptures the form Raguel appears; in Jewish and Christian apocrypha, Raguel is also the name of an archangel and of Sarah’s father in Tobit.

Usage spans Jewish communities and then English-speaking Protestants, especially Puritans, who favored Old Testament choices. In modern times it remains uncommon yet recognizable, most visible as a recurring middle name in the family of J. R. R. Tolkien. Attested variants and short forms include Re’u-el (transliteration), Reuel, Ruel; Raguel (or Ragüel) in Romance contexts. The core meaning stays constant: companionship with the divine, a quiet, steadfast theophoric choice.