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Comments and insights on the name Deborah

Correct Jewish (Hebrew) pronunciation is De'bor-ah - DEHB-rə is the pronunciation of Debra

The meaning, "worker bee" implies that a Deborah is a hard-working and tenacious person. My mother is a Deborah and the definition suits her perfectly, but she's never liked that her name dates her since it was strictly popular in the 60s. I wanted to give it to my daughter as a middle name, but my husband thought it was too ugly. Sorry, Mom!

Personal experiences with the name Deborah

I think this one is due for a revival, if people can disassociate it from the "Debra" variant and the "Debbie (/Debi/Debby) nicknames and see it as a multi-syllabic biblical name a la the fashionable Raphael or Isaiah etc. (but for a girl).

We had a snotty little girl for a neighbor whose name was Deborah. Her mother insisted that the name be pronounced with 3 syllables (Deb-o-rah), NEVER Debra! If her mother heard anybody calling her Debbie or Debra, she immediately corrected them. "Her name is not Debra, it's DEB-O-RAAAAH!" Her mother was snotty and Deb-o-RAH was a snotty little girl.

Nicknames for Deborah

Debs, Deb, Debbie, Debi, Debby, Dee, D-Dog

Meanings and history of the name Deborah

Famous real-life people named Deborah

Debbie Harry, American pop/new wave singer (Blondie)
Debra Messing, American actress ("Will and Grace")
Deborah Kerr, actress
Debbie Reynolds, actress
Debra Winger, actress
Debra Pagett, actress
Deborah Raffin, actress

Deborah in song, story & screen

Deborah was a prophetess and the fourth, and the only female, Judge of pre-monarchic Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh). Her story is told twice, in chapters 4 and 5 of Judges.
Deborah is the name of the nurse of Rebeccah (Genesis 35:8). She is first mentioned by name in the Torah when she dies in a place called Alon Bachot, and is buried by Jacob, who is returning with his large family to Canaan.
Deborah "Debbie" Gallagher - The youngest Gallagher daughter on Showtime's "Shameless"