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Debra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Debra

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The baby name Debra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdɛbrə/ (DEB-ruh); sometimes /ˈdeɪbrə/ (DAY-bruh).

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Pronunciation: /ˈdɛbrə/ (DEB-ruh); sometimes /ˈdeɪbrə/ (DAY-bruh)

What is the meaning of the name Debra ?

The baby name Debra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdɛbrə/ (DEB-ruh); sometimes /ˈdeɪbrə/ (DAY-bruh).

Debra is in Origin.

Debra is an English respelling of Deborah, from the Hebrew Devorah (דְּבוֹרָה), meaning “bee,” a symbol of industriousness and communal harmony. The name entered English through the Bible via the prophetess and judge Deborah in the Book of Judges, celebrated for courage and leadership; it gained steady use in Britain and America from the 17th century, especially among Puritans favoring Old Testament names.

Debra emerged in the mid-20th century as a streamlined, phonetic spelling and quickly became fashionable, soaring in U.S. popularity during the 1950s–60s before receding. Common diminutives include Deb, Debbie, and Debby. Related forms span languages: Deborah (standard English), Déborah (French), Debora (Italian), Débora (Portuguese and Spanish), and Devorah/Devora (Hebrew/Yiddish). Variant spellings such as Debrah also occur. The meaning “bee” lends modern associations of diligence, sweetness, and cooperative strength.

Debra has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Debra

Debra Winger Actor · Born 1955 · United States Debra Winger is an American actor best known for her roles in films like 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and 'Terms of Endearment'. She gained acclaim for her performances in the 1980s and has continued to be a respected figure in the film industry. Debra Messing Actor · Born 1968 · United States Debra Messing is an American actor best known for her role as Grace Adler on the television sitcom 'Will & Grace'. She has also appeared in films like 'The Wedding Date' and 'Along Came Polly'. Born in 1968, she has become a familiar face in both television and film. Debra Jo Rupp Actor · Born 1951 · United States Debra Jo Rupp is best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the popular television series That '70s Show. She charmed audiences with her comedic timing and warm presence. Debra also appeared in Friends as Alice Knight-Buffay, adding to her list of memorable TV roles.
Debra Paget Actor · Born 1933 · United States Debra Paget is an American actress best known for her role as Lilia in the epic film 'The Ten Commandments'. She also starred in 'Love Me Tender' alongside Elvis Presley and appeared in 'Broken Arrow'. Her performances in these films made her a memorable figure in Hollywood during the 1950s. Debra Marshall Actor · Born 1960 · United States Debra Marshall is best known for her career in professional wrestling as a manager and occasional wrestler in the WWE during the 1990s. She gained fame for her roles alongside wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Jeff Jarrett. Her charismatic presence and memorable storylines made her a notable figure in the wrestling world.

Debra – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2004 #1 — 741
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
BW 0 #19 1 960
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
JM 0 #89 5 3,714
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
ID Girls 0 #101 2 3,319
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
OM 0 #118 4 6,215
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
BW Girls 0 #132 17 4,216
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
CR 0 #142 17 5,526
MT Girls 0 #151 3 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
PR Girls 0 #164 4 3,171
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
JM Girls 0 #214 46 7,507
PS 0 #221 6 5,692
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
NA Girls 0 #234 4 7,146
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
SG 0 #255 15 11,010
TW Girls 0 #259 18 8,139
NG 0 #267 6 5,926
IL 0 #275 8 6,291
Canada Girls 2018 #286 5 2,960
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
QA Girls 0 #307 10 15,378
SA 0 #309 4 10,560
MY 0 #315 16 12,352
PE 0 #325 5 6,350
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
CN Girls 0 #338 12 8,829
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
HK 0 #350 8 8,483
SD Girls 0 #356 3 7,678
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #362 3 5,096
ZA 0 #373 75 14,421
France Girls 2013 #403 4 3,238
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
EG 0 #410 3 6,387
OM Girls 0 #419 6 15,987
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
ZA Girls 0 #425 1,259 25,928
CR Girls 0 #442 91 11,342
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
PT Girls 0 #467 5 7,952
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PS Girls 0 #500 24 10,981
SG Girls 0 #506 81 18,916
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #510 9 9,861
RU Girls 0 #516 8 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
AE Girls 0 #529 25 20,968
CM Girls 0 #530 11 11,671
UY Girls 0 #534 3 6,731
GT Girls 0 #539 3 7,500
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
KW Girls 0 #553 9 19,177
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BH 0 #581 7 17,937
AR Girls 0 #587 13 8,289
HK Girls 0 #590 26 16,104
IL Girls 0 #591 27 11,648
BO Girls 0 #601 11 9,488
NG Girls 0 #623 166 15,093
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
IT 0 #690 25 4,183
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #731 8 3,895
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
Germany Girls 0 #820 19 4,949
CL Girls 0 #839 13 14,098
MY Girls 0 #864 131 24,821
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #874 43 8,487
NL Girls 0 #888 68 5,933
SA Girls 0 #915 21 25,931
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
PE Girls 0 #931 13 14,861
EG Girls 0 #949 11 14,742
Spain Girls 0 #953 31 5,561
NG Boys 0 #995 7 16,906
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,069 10 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,150 29 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,161 23 17,781
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,248 7 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,290 157 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,462 10 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Debra is popular in 70 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
United States
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Debra

Debra is predominantly a girl's name.
Debra is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈdɛbrə/ (DEB-ruh); sometimes /ˈdeɪbrə/ (DAY-bruh).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Deborah, Debrah, Debora, Debbie, Debby and Debi.
Across languages, Debra has these equivalents: Devorah (Hebrew), Débora (Spanish, Portuguese), Debora (Italian, Polish), Dvora/Dvorah (Yiddish/Hebrew).
Yes, very popular — Debra ranked #1 in Ireland in 2004, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Debra ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2004).
Debra's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 1994 to #1 in 2004 in Ireland.
Yes — 5 notable people named Debra are in our database, including Debra Winger (Actor), Debra Messing (Actor), Debra Jo Rupp (Actor).