Fun Facts About the Name Debra
- More than 551 thousand babies named Debra: U.S. records list 551,840 babies given the name Debra from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,147 boys received the name Debra - about 1 boy for every 480 girls.
What Does the Name Debra Mean?
Debra is a spelling variant of Deborah, a name taken from the Hebrew Bible. It goes back to the Hebrew noun dəvōrāh (דְּבוֹרָה), whose established meaning is "bee." The English form Debra drops the o and final h of Deborah but keeps the same Hebrew source word.
The deeper origin of the Hebrew noun for bee is not settled. It is sometimes connected to the root d-b-r, which supplies Hebrew words for "to speak," "word," and "thing" - a link that has long been used as wordplay, since the biblical Deborah is a prophet who speaks on God's behalf. That is a traditional association rather than a demonstrated etymology. The Hebrew word may instead belong with a broader Semitic set of terms for stinging insects, such as Arabic dabbūr ("hornet"), but the evidence is limited and the question remains open.
Debra Name History & Origins
The name entered English through the Bible. In the Book of Judges, Deborah is a prophet and judge of Israel who summons the general Barak and helps defeat the Canaanite commander Sisera; the victory is celebrated in the poem of Judges 5. A second, minor Deborah appears in Genesis 35:8 as the nurse of Rebekah, buried beneath an oak that was named for her. These narratives gave the name a firm place in Jewish usage and later in Christian naming.
From Hebrew the name passed into Greek and Latin scripture. The Septuagint renders it Δεββώρα (Debbōra), and the Latin Vulgate uses Debbora. Through those forms it spread across Christian Europe as Deborah, Debora, Débora, and related spellings. English-speaking Protestants, particularly the Puritans of the 17th century, favored biblical names for their children, and Deborah traveled with them to colonial New England, where it appears in parish and family records.
Debra is a later, shortened English spelling of that same name. It keeps the consonants and the usual English pronunciation while trimming the vowel and final letter of Deborah, in the same way that other scriptural names acquired shorter everyday forms. The spelling became noticeably common in the United States during the 20th century, running alongside the longer Deborah rather than replacing it. Both spellings continue to be used for the same name.
How Popular is the Name Debra?
Debra recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1955. Debra entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 1950.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,478 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 2024 | #3,581 | 43 | 0.0027% |
| 2023 | #4,584 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #3,839 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2021 | #3,562 | 43 | 0.0026% |
| 2020 | #3,455 | 44 | 0.0027% |
| 2019 | #3,011 | 54 | 0.0032% |
| 2018 | #3,218 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 2017 | #3,448 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2016 | #3,113 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2015 | #3,932 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2014 | #3,087 | 54 | 0.0030% |
| 2013 | #3,330 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #2,639 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2011 | #2,735 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2010 | #2,518 | 73 | 0.0041% |
| 2009 | #2,381 | 81 | 0.0044% |
| 2008 | #2,234 | 88 | 0.0047% |
| 2007 | #1,787 | 120 | 0.0062% |
| 2006 | #1,763 | 118 | 0.0062% |
| 2005 | #1,860 | 104 | 0.0056% |
| 2004 | #1,520 | 132 | 0.0072% |
| 2003 | #1,565 | 123 | 0.0067% |
| 2002 | #1,379 | 140 | 0.0078% |
| 2001 | #1,343 | 143 | 0.0079% |
| 2000 | #1,210 | 164 | 0.0090% |
| 1999 | #1,073 | 187 | 0.0105% |
| 1998 | #986 | 205 | 0.0116% |
| 1997 | #932 | 213 | 0.0122% |
| 1996 | #875 | 226 | 0.0129% |
| 1995 | #776 | 257 | 0.0146% |
| 1994 | #683 | 308 | 0.0172% |
| 1993 | #631 | 356 | 0.0197% |
| 1992 | #639 | 353 | 0.0191% |
| 1991 | #496 | 478 | 0.0255% |
| 1990 | #454 | 542 | 0.0285% |
| 1989 | #438 | 555 | 0.0301% |
| 1988 | #388 | 618 | 0.0347% |
| 1987 | #366 | 641 | 0.0369% |
| 1986 | #309 | 776 | 0.0452% |
| 1985 | #273 | 917 | 0.0533% |
| 1984 | #245 | 1,020 | 0.0606% |
| 1983 | #229 | 1,084 | 0.0649% |
| 1982 | #209 | 1,313 | 0.0775% |
| 1981 | #202 | 1,342 | 0.0805% |
| 1980 | #177 | 1,558 | 0.0938% |
| 1979 | #166 | 1,688 | 0.1052% |
| 1978 | #147 | 1,870 | 0.1221% |
| 1977 | #146 | 1,961 | 0.1279% |
| 1976 | #134 | 2,069 | 0.1412% |
| 1975 | #114 | 2,444 | 0.1676% |
| 1974 | #94 | 3,129 | 0.2132% |
| 1973 | #84 | 3,652 | 0.2504% |
| 1972 | #66 | 4,666 | 0.3067% |
| 1971 | #57 | 5,928 | 0.3563% |
| 1970 | #47 | 7,197 | 0.4117% |
| 1969 | #43 | 7,952 | 0.4714% |
| 1968 | #38 | 9,096 | 0.5545% |
| 1967 | #38 | 10,217 | 0.6188% |
| 1966 | #35 | 11,262 | 0.6655% |
| 1965 | #27 | 13,098 | 0.7420% |
| 1964 | #24 | 15,329 | 0.8090% |
| 1963 | #21 | 17,335 | 0.8994% |
| 1962 | #15 | 20,593 | 1.0471% |
| 1961 | #13 | 22,161 | 1.0980% |
| 1960 | #8 | 26,728 | 1.3219% |
| 1959 | #7 | 31,387 | 1.5511% |
| 1958 | #6 | 35,524 | 1.7659% |
| 1957 | #4 | 42,727 | 2.0895% |
| 1956 | #2 | 48,324 | 2.4069% |
| 1955 | #4 | 50,560 | 2.5858% |
| 1954 | #6 | 45,897 | 2.3635% |
| 1953 | #7 | 36,855 | 1.9590% |
| 1952 | #9 | 26,832 | 1.4470% |
| 1951 | #18 | 17,065 | 0.9476% |
| 1950 | #59 | 6,176 | 0.3605% |
| 1949 | #134 | 2,392 | 0.1398% |
| 1948 | #218 | 1,125 | 0.0663% |
| 1947 | #303 | 679 | 0.0383% |
| 1946 | #369 | 417 | 0.0265% |
| 1945 | #511 | 205 | 0.0157% |
| 1944 | #485 | 219 | 0.0165% |
| 1943 | #769 | 102 | 0.0073% |
| 1942 | #720 | 107 | 0.0079% |
| 1941 | #709 | 98 | 0.0081% |
| 1940 | #752 | 85 | 0.0074% |
| 1939 | #798 | 74 | 0.0067% |
| 1938 | #915 | 60 | 0.0054% |
| 1937 | #770 | 79 | 0.0074% |
| 1936 | #913 | 56 | 0.0054% |
| 1935 | #960 | 52 | 0.0050% |
| 1934 | #968 | 51 | 0.0049% |
| 1933 | #1,163 | 37 | 0.0037% |
| 1932 | #1,493 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1931 | #2,039 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1930 | #2,038 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #2,026 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1928 | #2,649 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1927 | #2,738 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1926 | #2,736 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1925 | #2,987 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #3,734 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,177 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #5,187 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #4,058 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,376 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #3,303 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #3,802 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1916 | #4,583 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #2,950 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #3,747 | 5 | 0.0007% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | #6,536 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #4,214 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #4,311 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #4,620 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,268 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #4,704 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,073 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,716 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #4,754 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #2,333 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1972 | #2,348 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #1,996 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1970 | #1,903 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1969 | #1,359 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1968 | #1,368 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1967 | #1,768 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1966 | #1,351 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1965 | #1,280 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1964 | #1,098 | 48 | 0.0024% |
| 1963 | #1,323 | 35 | 0.0017% |
| 1962 | #1,155 | 45 | 0.0022% |
| 1961 | #1,085 | 52 | 0.0024% |
| 1960 | #877 | 75 | 0.0035% |
| 1959 | #942 | 67 | 0.0031% |
| 1958 | #839 | 81 | 0.0038% |
| 1957 | #892 | 72 | 0.0033% |
| 1956 | #783 | 90 | 0.0043% |
| 1955 | #848 | 75 | 0.0036% |
| 1954 | #764 | 87 | 0.0043% |
| 1953 | #1,002 | 52 | 0.0026% |
| 1952 | #1,248 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1951 | #1,530 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1950 | #2,821 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #3,395 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
