Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1955

Debra

Meaning A spelling variant of Deborah first used in the 20th century Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,478 Trend ↓ Falling 26%

A spelling variant of Deborah first used in the 20th century.

Rank 2025
#4,478
among girls · ↓885 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
31
named Debra · -28% vs 2024
How common
1 in 51,847
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1955
50,638 babies
All-time total
551,841
#56 all-time among girls
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Debra popularity over time

551,841 babies have been named Debra since 1914, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
7.51522.53018801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 41 – 41 4 – #2,950
1920s 94 – 94 9 +129% #2,026
1930s 468 – 468 47 +398% #770
1940s 5,429 6 5,435 544 +1061% #134
1950s 341,348 591 341,939 34,194 +6191% #2
1960s 153,771 410 154,181 15,418 -55% #8
1970s 34,605 108 34,713 3,471 -77% #47
1980s 9,823 31 9,854 985 -72% #177
1990s 3,125 – 3,125 313 -68% #454
2000s 1,213 – 1,213 121 -61% #1,211
2010s 547 – 547 55 -55% #2,519
2020s (to 2025) 231 – 231 39 -30% #3,459

Where Debra is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 29 0.02 outside top 500
2027 28 0.02 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 26 0.02 outside top 500
2030 26 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Debra

Debra is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,478 in 2025 with 31 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 551,841 American babies have been named Debra. Its peak came in 1955, when 50,638 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Debra stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Debra?

The median living Debra is about 67 years old; half are between 62 and 70. An estimated 474 thousand people named Debra are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Debra year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 31 #4,478 – –
2024 43 #3,593 – –
2023 30 #4,587 – –
2022 39 #3,842 – –
2021 44 #3,504 – –
2020 44 #3,459 – –
2019 54 #3,014 – –
2018 50 #3,218 – –
2017 45 #3,448 – –
2016 53 #3,113 – –
2015 38 #3,932 – –
2014 54 #3,087 – –
2013 48 #3,330 – –
2012 68 #2,639 – –
2011 64 #2,736 – –
2010 73 #2,519 – –
2009 81 #2,381 – –
2008 88 #2,234 – –
2007 120 #1,787 – –
2006 118 #1,763 – –
2005 104 #1,860 – –
2004 132 #1,520 – –
2003 123 #1,565 – –
2002 140 #1,379 – –
2001 143 #1,343 – –
2000 164 #1,211 – –
1995 257 #776 – –
1990 542 #454 – –
1985 918 #273 – –
1980 1,558 #177 – –
1975 2,444 #114 9 #3,716
1970 7,198 #47 22 #1,902
1965 13,098 #27 36 #1,280
1960 26,732 #8 75 #877
1955 50,563 #4 75 #848
1950 6,176 #59 8 #2,821
1945 205 #511 – –
1940 85 #752 – –
1935 52 #960 – –
1930 17 #2,038 – –
1925 11 #2,987 – –
1920 7 #4,058 – –
1915 9 #2,950 – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Debra

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Debra Messing Debra Messing American actress (born 1968) Contemporary
  2. 2 Debra Winger Debra Winger American actress (born 1955) Contemporary
  3. 3 Debra Wilson Debra Wilson American actress b. 1962 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Debra Paget Debra Paget American actress and entertainer (born 1933) Contemporary
  5. 5 Debra Jo Rupp Debra Jo Rupp American actress (born 1951) Contemporary
  6. 6 Debra Mooney American actress b. 1947 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Debra Monk Debra Monk American actress (born 1949) Contemporary
  8. 8 Debra Hill Debra Hill American film producer (1950–2005) Contemporary
  9. 9 Debra Granik Debra Granik American film director (born 1963) Contemporary
  10. 10 Debra Fischer Debra Fischer American astronomer and academic b. 1951 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Debra, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Debra?

The median living Debra is about 67 years old. Half of all living Debras are between 62 and 70 years old.

How many people named Debra are alive today?

An estimated 474 thousand people named Debra are alive in the United States, based on 551,841 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Debra mean?

A spelling variant of Deborah first used in the 20th century.

How popular is the name Debra in 2025?

Debra ranked #4,478 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 31 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Debra?

551,841 babies have been named Debra in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Debra most popular?

Debra peaked in 1955, when 50,638 newborns received the name.

Is Debra a boy or girl name?

Debra is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Debra rising or falling?

Debra is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Debra become more popular?

Debra is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 26 girls named Debra in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Debra?

Well-known people named Debra include Debra Messing (actor), Debra Winger (actor), Debra Wilson (actor).

Names like Debra

Names that sound and feel close to Debra: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Debra with similar names → More names starting with D →