Deborah
/ˈdɛbərə/noun
A feminine given name of Hebrew origin meaning “bee.”
Did you know?In the Book of Judges, Deborah is both a prophetess and a military leader, making her one of the Bible’s earliest named female authorities.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*dibūr-
“Bee; the reconstructed Semitic ancestor associated with the Hebrew name”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
דְּבוֹרָה (Devorah)
“Bee; also used as a personal name”
Ancient Israel
Hebrew
דְּבוֹרָה
“Deborah, the prophetess and judge described in the Book of Judges”
Greek Septuagint
Greek
Δεββωρα (Debbōra)
“Transliterated form of the Hebrew personal name”
Latin Vulgate
Latin
Debbora
“Biblical personal name preserved in Latin Scripture”
Modern English
English
Deborah
“A feminine given name inherited through biblical and Christian naming traditions”