How Many People Are Named Debra?
An estimated 413,951 people in the United States have the first name Debra. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #114 overall. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 66 years old, and Debra peaked in popularity in 1955 with 50,635 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Debra as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Debra paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Debra is overwhelmingly female, 1,147 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 66, Debra is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1970.
- Debra has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
413,951
About 1 in 828 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
99.8% confidence
Average Age
66
years old
Peak Year
1955
50,635 births
Total Registered
551,809
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Debra
Debra is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 551,809 total births registered, 99.8% were female.
Debra as a male name
Ranked #6,536 in 1984
5 male births in 1984
Peak: 1956 (90 births)
Debra as a female name
Ranked #3,581 in 2024
43 female births in 2024
Peak: 1955 (50,560 births)
Debra: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Debra span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 341,938 babies were registered. Debra has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Debra by Decade
How has Debra tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Debra by State
Birth registrations for Debra span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Illinois. The lowest are in Delaware, Alaska, Nevada. On average, about 10,747 Debras were registered per state.
Debra + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Debra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Debra
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Debra: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Debra?
We estimate approximately 413,951 people named Debra are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 828 Americans share this first name.
Is Debra a common name?
Debra is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 551,809 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Debra most popular?
Debra reached peak popularity in 1955, when 50,635 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Debra is approximately 66 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Debra a female name?
Debra is predominantly female. 99.8% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Debra Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Debra Smith, Debra Johnson, Debra Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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