Denis
Denis was the 1712th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 277th with 618 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 207 places. More babies were named Denis in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Dennis) follower of Dionysus (Greek) · Greek, French
- Rank in 2025
- #1,712 boys, down 37 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 95boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1952618 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,606babies recorded
What does the name Denis mean?
Denis is a spelling of Dennis, pronounced the same way, so it shares Dennis's meaning and origin.
Dennis comes from Latin Dionysius, Greek Dionysios, meaning "of Dionysus," the Greek god of wine, as DMNES and Wiktionary agree. The French form Denis was the name of a 3rd-century saint, the patron of Paris, and the Normans brought it to England. DMNES also notes that Dionysius was sometimes used to Latinize the Irish name Donnchad. Dennis has been used in the US since 1880.
Διονύσιος (Ancient Greek, “of Dionysus”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Denis, Dionysius, Denny, Denise, Dion.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Dennis', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dennis' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Denis popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,640 | #1,712 | 6 | 95 |
| 2020 | #5,200 | #1,675 | 24 | 95 |
| 2010 | #6,991 | #1,358 | 18 | 125 |
| 2000 | #5,769 | #1,220 | 19 | 110 |
| 1990 | #6,214 | #1,001 | 14 | 111 |
| 1980 | #4,788 | #790 | 15 | 123 |
| 1970 | #5,140 | #570 | 10 | 202 |
| 1960 | #3,965 | #416 | 11 | 363 |
| 1950 | #4,864 | #312 | 6 | 481 |
| 1940 | — | #346 | — | 272 |
| 1930 | — | #664 | — | 88 |
| 1920 | — | #992 | — | 48 |
| 1910 | — | #1,136 | — | 9 |
| 1900 | — | #704 | — | 13 |
| 1890 | — | #826 | — | 7 |
| 1880 | — | #609 | — | 10 |
How popular is Denis, counting every spelling?
Denis is a spelling of Dennis, a name family that ranked #587 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,712 for Denis on its own. Together these spellings went to 485 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis | 381 | #707 | 1,992 |
| Denis | 95 | #1,712 | 505 |
| Denys | 9 | #8,421 | 34 |
| Dennys | — | — | 25 |
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 Denis?
95 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Denis (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Denis 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 88 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Denis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Denis?
About 13,600 people born in the US named Denis are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 30 and 72. That makes Denis a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Denis by state
How common Denis was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (1.8×), New York (1.5×). In 38 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 Denis: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Denis, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Denis
What does Denis mean?
Denis is a spelling of Dennis, which means “follower of Dionysus (Greek)” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Denis?
Denis was the 1712th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 277th with 618 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 207 places. More babies were named Denis in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Denis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Denis in the US.
Where is Denis most popular?
In 2021–2025, Denis was most common in Maryland (0.15 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and New Jersey.