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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) : metronymic from a pet form of the Yiddish female personal name Dvoyre (from the Hebrew name Devorah, literally ‘bee’, whence English Deborah). The name Devorah was borne in the Bible by Rebecca’s nurse (Genesis 35:8) and by a prophetess and judge (Judges 4:4). The popularity of the Yiddish name is due largely to the latter.

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