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    The first name Deborah

    A girl’s name from Hebrew.

    Pronounced /ˈdɛb(ə)ɹə/ 3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Hebrew origin

    From Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה (dvorá), meaning bee.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 68 girls were named Deborah, making it the 580th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 118 births (#302).

    0100200 1996200020052010201520202025
    2,265
    babies named Deborah, 1996–2025
    #580
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Deborah with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Deborah at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 313 girls born in the United States were named Deborah, the 864th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 54,674 were.

    030,00060,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    744,478
    babies named Deborah since 1880
    #864
    rank in 2025
    1954
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Deborah in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    德博拉
    Débólā
    Chinese, also 黛博拉, 底波拉
    Déborah
    French, also Débora
    דְבוֹרָה
    dvorá
    Hebrew
    Debóra
    Hungarian
    Gobnait
    Irish
    Debora
    Italian
    Débora
    Portuguese
    Дебо́ра
    Debóra
    Russian, also Дево́ра, Дево́рра
    Débora
    Spanish
    Debora
    Dutch
    Debora
    Finnish
    Debora
    Latin

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Deborah

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Deborah

    87 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Deborah Kerr
      British actress (1921–2007)
    • Déborah François
      Belgian actress, born 1987
    • Deborah Ann Woll
      American actress, born 1985
    • Deborah Kara Unger
      Canadian actress, born 1966
    • Deborah Lipstadt
      American diplomat and Holocaust historian (born 1947)
    • Deborah L. Birx
      American physician and diplomat, born 1956
    • Deborah S. Jin
      American physicist (1968–2016)
    • Deborah Secco
      Brazilian actress, born 1979
    • Deborah Raffin
      Actress from the United States (1953-2012)
    • Deborah Shelton
      American actress and beauty queen, born 1948
    • Deborah Snyder
      American film producer, born 1963
    • Deborah Mailman
      Australian actress, born 1972

    More Hebrew girls’ names

    All 346 names of Hebrew origin

    Questions

    What does the name Deborah mean?
    From Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה (dvorá), meaning bee.
    What is the origin of the name Deborah?
    From Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה (dvorá), meaning bee.
    How popular is the name Deborah?
    In 2025, 68 girls born in England and Wales were named Deborah, ranking 580th. Its peak was 1996, with 118 births.
    What are nicknames for Deborah?
    Common nicknames for Deborah include Debbie, Deb, Debby, Debs.
    Is Deborah a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 744,478 US babies named Deborah since 1880 were girls.
    When was Deborah most popular?
    1954 in the United States, when 54,674 babies were named Deborah, its highest rank at 3rd.
    How do you pronounce Deborah?
    Deborah is /ˈdɛb(ə)ɹə/, 3 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Deborah?
    Debra and Debora.