Find out how popular the last name Debra is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Debra.

Debra, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Debra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Debra in America

Debra is the 94311th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Debra surname appeared 194 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Debra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Debra to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Debra

The surname "DEBRA" is believed to have originated in medieval England, derived from the Old English words "dēor" (meaning "deer") and "burh" (meaning "fortified town" or "borough"). It is thought to have initially referred to a settlement or town where deer were abundant or hunted.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dereburgh" in reference to a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire. This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to deer and fortified settlements.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname "DEBRA" began to appear more frequently in various records and documents across England. It was often associated with families who resided in or held lands near towns or villages with names containing elements related to deer, such as "Deerham" or "Deerfield."

Notable historical figures who bore the surname "DEBRA" include Sir John Debra (c. 1280 – 1349), a knight and landowner in Warwickshire, and William Debra (c. 1410 – 1476), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.

In the 16th century, the surname was occasionally spelled as "Debray" or "Debrey," reflecting the influence of Norman French on English naming conventions. One such example is Thomas Debrey (c. 1520 – 1590), a scholar and translator who served as a tutor to the children of King Henry VIII.

By the 17th and 18th centuries, the spelling "DEBRA" had become more standardized, and the surname was found throughout various regions of England. A notable figure from this period was Elizabeth Debra (1670 – 1741), a poet and writer who published several works under the pseudonym "Philomela."

Over time, the surname "DEBRA" spread beyond England, with some families carrying the name migrating to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to the American colonies and other parts of the world. Despite its geographical spread, the name's origins and historical connections to medieval England and deer-related settlements remain a distinct part of its etymology and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Debra

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Debra.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Debra was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Debra has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Debra was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Debra, please contact us.

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