Debralee

Meaning & origin

Debralee is a modern compound name that emerged in the mid-20th century, combining the established name Debra with the popular suffix -lee. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1951, a time when blended names were becoming fashionable. The name reached its peak in 1979, with a higher number of births than in any other year, though it never cracked the top 1,000 rankings. Its trajectory over the decades has been stable in its rarity, never experiencing a dramatic surge or decline. While Debralee is primarily associated with the 1970s, its usage has persisted at low levels through the present day, with no particular state concentration. The name reflects a distinctly American naming trend of the mid-1900s, appealing to parents who wanted a familiar yet personalized option for their daughters.

Debralee is a modern compound name, formed by blending Debra (a variant of Deborah, from the Hebrew 'd'vorah,' meaning 'bee') with the suffix -lee (from Old English 'leah,' meaning 'clearing or meadow'). This type of combination became popular in mid-20th-century America, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, as parents sought distinctive yet familiar-sounding names for their daughters. Debralee first appeared in U.S. records in 1951 and saw its peak usage in 1979, reflecting the broader trend of hyphenated or concatenated names during that era.