Gender Feminine
Scripts דְּבוֹרָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced Pron. DEHB-ə-rə(English) DEHB-rə(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Hebrew name דְּבוֹרָה (Devorah) meaning "bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.

Long a common Jewish name, Deborah was first used by English Christians after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Related Names

VariantDebra(English)
DiminutivesDeb, Debbi, Debbie, Debby, Debi(English)
Other Languages & CulturesDebbora(Biblical Greek) Devorah(Biblical Hebrew) Debbora(Biblical Latin) Debora(Dutch) Débora, Déborah(French) Debora(German) Devora, Devorah, Dvora, Dvorah(Hebrew) Debora(Italian) Débora(Portuguese) Débora(Spanish)
Same SpellingDéborah

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   strong   refined   serious  

Name Days

Austria: September 21

Images

Deborah (1866) by Gustave DoréDeborah (1866) by Gustave Doré

Categories

Entry updated May 29, 2020