Deborah vs Debra
Deborah and Debracompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1973, Deborah was ranked #16 and Debra #97 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1973, Deborah was ranked #34 and Debra #99 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Deborah was ranked #304 and Debra #677 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Debra #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Debra over time
Deborah and Debra appear together in 4 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Deborah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Debra in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Deborah in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Debra averaged 25.4 places apart, ending at #34 and #99.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Debra were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #304 and #677.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Debra #1364 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1964–2004
Deborah held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Debra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Debra #230 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Deborah #304, Debra #677.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1953–1973
Deborah held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Debra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Debra #6 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Deborah #34, Debra #99.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1955–1973
Deborah held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Debra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Debra #17 in 1959.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Deborah #16, Debra #97.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Debra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Debra #1364 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Debra #5891.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Deborah | Debra |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Debra does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Debra.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Debra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Debra
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1973
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1953–1973).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls