Deborah Girl

Popularity: #645 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: DEB-uh-rah //ˈdɛb.ə.rə//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: bee; English: a feminine form of the masculine name Debor

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Deborah has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the word "דְבוֹרָה" (D'vorah), which means "bee." This etymology reflects the name's association with industriousness and community, as bees are often seen as symbols of hard work and cooperation. The name entered the English language through the Latin form "Debora," which was used in early Christian texts, and subsequently through Old French as "Deborah," before being adopted into Middle English.

Historically, the name Deborah is most notably associated with a biblical figure from the Book of Judges, dated to around the 12th century BCE. Deborah was a prophetess and a judge of Israel, recognized for her wisdom and leadership in a time of crisis.

Her story, which includes the defeat of the Canaanite general Sisera, has been influential in both religious and cultural contexts, symbolizing female strength and leadership. The name gained further prominence with the translation of the Bible into various languages, including the King James Version in the early 17th century, which helped solidify its presence in Christian communities.

Culturally, the name Deborah has resonated through various traditions, often symbolizing qualities such as wisdom, strength, and nurturing. In Jewish tradition, Deborah is celebrated as a heroine, and her story is recounted during religious observances.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Debby or Debbie, which have been used affectionately throughout history. Overall, the enduring legacy of the name Deborah reflects its deep historical roots and cultural significance, particularly within religious narratives.

Famous people named Deborah

In this section, you will find notable people named Deborah. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Deborah who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Deborah who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Deborah Harry is a singer and actress best known for being the lead vocalist of Blondie, and for the songs Heart of Glass and Call Me.

Deborah Ann Woll is an actress best known for her roles in True Blood, Daredevil, and The Punisher.

Deborah Meaden is a businesswoman and television personality best known for her role on Dragons' Den.

Deborah Norville is a television journalist and anchor best known for Inside Edition and as a former anchor for NBC News.

Deborah Tannen is a sociolinguist and author best known for her books You Just Don't Understand and Talking from 9 to 5.

Fictional characters named Deborah

The following list of fictional characters named Deborah is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Deborah is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. She is a member of the Fireflies and plays a significant role in the story's exploration of survival and morality.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Deborah, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

DanielRebeccaDavidRachelSamuelMiriam

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Deborah. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

DelilahDahliaDianaDaphneDariaDebbieDemiDella

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Deborah was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Deborah has ranked as high as #10 nationally, which occurred in 1954, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Deborah has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Deborah is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Deborah was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Deborah.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 313 0 313
2024 317 0 317
2023 267 0 267
2022 301 0 301
2021 295 0 295
2020 291 0 291
2019 296 0 296
2018 350 0 350
2017 357 0 357
2016 349 0 349
2015 350 0 350
2014 373 0 373
2013 330 0 330
2012 337 0 337
2011 332 0 332
2010 355 0 355
2009 346 0 346
2008 356 0 356
2007 372 0 372
2006 425 0 425
2005 425 0 425
2004 427 0 427
2003 423 0 423
2002 474 0 474
2001 490 0 490
2000 546 0 546
1999 524 0 524
1998 554 0 554
1997 638 0 638
1996 635 0 635
1995 659 0 659
1994 738 0 738
1993 798 0 798
1992 919 0 919
1991 1,014 0 1,014
1990 1,100 5 1,095
1989 1,086 10 1,076
1988 1,056 0 1,056
1987 1,210 7 1,203
1986 1,294 7 1,287
1985 1,407 7 1,400
1984 1,474 6 1,468
1983 1,615 6 1,609
1982 1,849 9 1,840
1981 1,914 7 1,907
1980 1,944 7 1,937
1979 2,193 13 2,180
1978 2,491 12 2,479
1977 2,697 21 2,676
1976 3,009 17 2,992
1975 3,429 15 3,414
1974 4,363 20 4,343
1973 5,010 30 4,980
1972 6,294 23 6,271
1971 8,711 36 8,675
1970 9,873 28 9,845
1969 11,219 32 11,187
1968 12,322 34 12,288
1967 14,062 50 14,012
1966 16,296 46 16,250
1965 17,125 44 17,081
1964 19,368 62 19,306
1963 21,106 53 21,053
1962 22,940 51 22,889
1961 24,163 56 24,107
1960 25,330 64 25,266
1959 29,615 69 29,546
1958 33,020 77 32,943
1957 40,180 84 40,096
1956 47,927 93 47,834
1955 52,418 100 52,318
1954 54,754 80 54,674
1953 52,281 82 52,199
1952 49,905 94 49,811
1951 42,115 62 42,053
1950 29,110 47 29,063
1949 19,237 28 19,209
1948 11,270 26 11,244
1947 5,848 11 5,837
1946 2,481 10 2,471
1945 1,462 0 1,462
1944 1,298 5 1,293
1943 791 6 785
1942 676 0 676
1941 607 0 607
1940 470 0 470
1939 449 6 443
1938 410 0 410
1937 322 0 322
1936 300 0 300
1935 281 0 281
1934 280 0 280
1933 242 0 242
1932 207 0 207
1931 158 0 158
1930 165 0 165
1929 161 0 161
1928 130 0 130
1927 91 0 91
1926 116 0 116
1925 82 0 82
1924 125 0 125
1923 118 0 118
1922 71 0 71
1921 94 0 94
1920 82 0 82
1919 70 0 70
1918 92 0 92
1917 89 0 89
1916 90 0 90
1915 105 0 105
1914 62 0 62
1913 42 0 42
1912 32 0 32
1911 36 0 36
1910 33 0 33
1909 26 0 26
1908 25 0 25
1907 21 0 21
1906 24 0 24
1905 18 0 18
1904 23 0 23
1903 21 0 21
1902 21 0 21
1901 21 0 21
1900 26 0 26
1899 11 0 11
1898 21 0 21
1897 23 0 23
1896 18 0 18
1895 13 0 13
1894 18 0 18
1893 24 0 24
1892 16 0 16
1891 15 0 15
1890 24 0 24
1889 12 0 12
1888 26 0 26
1887 15 0 15
1886 10 0 10
1885 10 0 10
1884 13 0 13
1883 16 0 16
1882 15 0 15
1881 14 0 14
1880 12 0 12

Top States for Deborah (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 43
16%
FL 31
11%
CA 24
9%
NY 22
8%
MA 17
6%
NJ 14
5%
IN 12
4%
OH 12
4%
VA 11
4%
GA 11
4%
NC 11
4%
MO 10
4%
TN 10
4%
PA 8
3%
KY 7
3%
WA 5
2%
IA 5
2%
IL 5
2%
AR 5
2%
AZ 5
2%
MD 5
2%