Denim
Denim was the 880th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 271 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 746 places. More babies were named Denim in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning denim (cloth 'of Nîmes') · English, French
Say it DEN-im /ˈdɛnəm/
- Rank in 2025
- #880 boys, up 536 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 271boys
- Girls and boys
- 31% girls, 69% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025271 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,843babies recorded
What does the name Denim mean?
Denim is an English word name taken from the sturdy cotton cloth used for jeans. The American Heritage Dictionary and Wiktionary trace the word to French serge de Nîmes, "serge (cloth) of Nîmes", after the city in southern France. As a first name it is a recent choice with no older history.
de Nîmes (French, “of Nîmes (a French city)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'denim' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Wiktionary, entry 'denim', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Denim popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,914 | #880 | 101 | 271 |
| 2020 | #2,692 | #1,416 | 62 | 122 |
| 2010 | #7,995 | #1,744 | 15 | 87 |
| 2000 | — | #8,418 | — | 7 |
| 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | — | #6,484 | — | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Denim, counting every spelling?
Denim is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #763 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #880 for Denim on its own. Together these spellings went to 327 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denim | 271 | #880 | 931 |
| Denym | 49 | #2,652 | 143 |
| Denham | 7 | #9,943 | 26 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Denim?
271 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Denim (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Denim 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 31 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Denim.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Denim?
About 2,700 people born in the US named Denim are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 16. That makes Denim a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Denim by state
How common Denim was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (8.3×), Georgia (3.5×), Maryland (2.6×), Alabama (2.1×), Illinois (1.9×). In 32 states fewer than five boys 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 Denim: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Denim, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Denim · Sibling names for Denim
Questions about the name Denim
What does Denim mean?
Denim means “denim (cloth 'of Nîmes')” (English, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Denim?
Denim was the 880th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 271 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 746 places. More babies were named Denim in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Denim a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 31% girls, 69% boys given the name Denim in the US.
Where is Denim most popular?
In 2021–2025, Denim was most common in Louisiana (0.90 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and District of Columbia.