Given name & surname
Deborah
“bee”
Deborah is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “bee.”
Original Hebrewדבורה
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “bee.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
The name has a place in biblical naming traditions.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Deborah appears in Genesis 24:59, Genesis 24:61, Genesis 35:8 and 3 other passages.
- Genesis 24:59
- Genesis 24:61
- Genesis 35:8
- Judges 4:4
- Judges 4:5
- Judges 4:14
From biblical name research
Deborah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 744,478
- 1,658 boys · 742,820 girls
- Most popular year
- 1954
- 54,754 babies
- 2025
- 313
- #864 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 313 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 864 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 54,674 in 1954. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (33). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 622,217 as a first name in 2020; 279 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Deborah’s family of names
In English usage, Deborah has a diminutive in Debra. Deborah has a related form in Debbie. In English usage, Deborah has a related form in Debra.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Deborah has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
14 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 35
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Devorahvariant
- Devoravariant
- Deboravariant · Italian
- Debravariant · English
- Debbiediminutive · English
- Deborahhlikely variant
- Debborahlikely variant
- Debsshort form · English
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- Debbydiminutive · English
- Debdiminutive · English
- Devrivariant
- Devravariant
- Devoriavariant
- Debbeevariant
- Debbvariant
- Debrianavariant
- Debraleevariant
- Debrahvariant
- Deborvariant
- Debivariant
- Deberahvariant
- Deberavariant
- Debbravariant
- Debbivariant
- Debbeyvariant
- Debberavariant
- Boyangdiminutive · ceb
- Borangdiminutive · ceb
- Devoritvariant
- Debiriavariant
- Debiravariant
- Dobravariant
- Debreannavariant
- Debeevariant
- Dvoirevariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Deborah
- Deborah KerrBritish actress (1921–2007)
- Debby RyanAmerican singer and actress (born 1993)
- Debbie HarryAmerican singer, songwriter and actress, frontwoman of Blondie (born 1945)
- Deborah Ann WollAmerican actressborn 1985
- Deborah Kara UngerCanadian actressborn 1966
- Debbie StabenowAmerican politician (born 1950)
- Debbie GibsonAmerican singer and actressborn 1970
- Deborah CompagnoniItalian alpine skierborn 1970
- Deborah LipstadtAmerican diplomat and Holocaust historian (born 1947)
Characters named Deborah: Deb Scott (One Tree Hill).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Deborah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Samantha
“one who listens well”
>99% girls
Debbora
“bee”
>99% girls
Dinah
“(female) judge” · “judgment”
>99% girls
Rebecca
“enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”
>99% girls
Rachel
“ewe”
>99% girls
Abigail
“father of exaltation” · “the source of a father”
>99% girls
Sarah
“princess”
>99% girls
Martha
“lady”
>99% girls