Debbie
Debbie was the 5284th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 20th with 19,540 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 396 places. More babies were named Debbie in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Deborah, 'bee' · English, Hebrew
Say it DEB-ee /ˈdɛbi/
- Rank in 2025
- #5,284 girls, up 854 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 24girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195919,540 babies
- Total since 1880
- 188,287babies recorded
What does the name Debbie mean?
Debbie is a pet form of Deborah, with the -ie ending, as Wiktionary notes. Deborah is the Hebrew word devorah 'bee', the name of the prophet and judge in Judges 4:4. Debbie was very common in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, the era of actress Debbie Reynolds (born Mary Frances Reynolds).
דְּבוֹרָה (Devorah) (Biblical Hebrew, “bee”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Deborah, Debra, Deb, Debby.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Debbie', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Deborah', DMNES (Durham University)
- Hebrew Bible, Judges 4:4 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
Debbie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 434 since 1952.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,284 | 24 |
| 2020 | #6,138 | 19 |
| 2010 | #3,530 | 45 |
| 2000 | #2,148 | 75 |
| 1990 | #743 | 280 |
| 1980 | #439 | 489 |
| 1970 | #148 | 2,322 |
| 1960 | #24 | 17,067 |
| 1950 | #221 | 1,163 |
| 1940 | #915 | 61 |
| 1930 | #2,579 | 12 |
| 1920 | #2,761 | 12 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | #1,999 | 5 |
| 1890 | #953 | 9 |
| 1880 | #767 | 6 |
How popular is Debbie, counting every spelling?
Debbie has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Debbie?
24 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Debbie (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Debbie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 347 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Debbie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Debbie?
About 158,100 people born in the US named Debbie are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 62 and 68. That makes Debbie a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Debbie by state
How common Debbie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (4.0×). In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Debbie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Debbie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Debbie · Sibling names for Debbie
Debbie is also a nickname for Deborah and Debra.
Questions about the name Debbie
What does Debbie mean?
Debbie means “pet form of Deborah, 'bee'” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Debbie?
Debbie was the 5284th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 20th with 19,540 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 396 places. More babies were named Debbie in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Debbie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Debbie in the US.
Where is Debbie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Debbie was most common in New York (0.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.