Origin of the Name Deborah

The Deborah name is a Hebrew female name that characterized a heroine in the Bible who led Israel at the time when they had no kings to rule.She became the Judge of Israel during an oppressive era by the Canaanites because no man would. She describes herself as ‘a mother in Israel’ in the book of judges in the Bible.

Meaning

The Deborah name means ‘Bee’ as per the insect bee. The meaning of Deborah interestingly did not deter its popularity among Christians who naturally love to use names that connote godliness or great positive values.

Popularity of Deborah

The popularity of Deborah came on the wings of the Protestant Reformation across Western Europe (England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia). There was an era in England when almost every little girl was a ‘Debbie’ or ‘Debra’, I believe due to the sweetness of the mere sound of the name. However, nowadays I only hear the name with Jewish females, elderly English Christians or girls from deeply Christian homes. This sweet name is fast waning as parents seek unique and more modern names for their princesses. A study in 2010 revealed the name Deborah ranked at 300th in England and Wales, and even worse in the U.S at 814th.

Useful Resources

• Discover the meaning and popularity of other girls’ names on our website