Debra
/ˈdɛbrə/noun
A feminine given name, commonly regarded as a shortened form of Deborah.
Did you know?The biblical Deborah was both a prophetess and judge of Israel, and her name comes from Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה, meaning “bee.”
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
דְּבוֹרָה (Dəvōrāh)
“Bee; the name of the prophetess and judge Deborah in the Hebrew Bible”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Δεββώρα (Debbṓra)
“Deborah, as represented in the Greek Septuagint”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Debbora
“Deborah, adopted from the biblical Greek form”
Old English period
English
Deborah
“The biblical personal name, transmitted through Christian scripture and tradition”
20th Century
English
Debra
“A modern shortened spelling and given-name form of Deborah”