Debra is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Debra means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Debra across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Debra has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Debra is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “bee”. a variant of Deborah.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 551,841 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 91 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 408 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 280 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,094 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Debra per year, United States (1914 to 2025). United States peaked in 1955 (50,638/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (32/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1985 (18/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (13/yr).
Debra has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1955, when it ranked #11 nationally (given to 50,638 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Deborah · Debora · Debrah · Debbra · Debroah · Deborrah · Debera · Deborha
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