Denise
Denise was the 1677th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 123 babies. Its best year was 1955, when it ranked 23rd; the most babies were born in 1961 (15,379). Over the last ten years it has moved down 680 places. More babies were named Denise in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Dennis (Dionysius) · French, Greek
Say it duh-NEES /dəˈnis/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,677 girls, down 800 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 123girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196115,379 babies
- Total since 1880
- 374,789babies recorded
What does the name Denise mean?
Denise is the French feminine of Denis (Dennis), from Latin Dionysia, the feminine of Dionysius, 'devotee of Dionysus', the Greek god of wine, as Wiktionary and DMNES note. DMNES records Latin Dionisia in English documents from 1222, and medieval English pet forms Di and Diot survive in surnames. The French form became popular in the US in the 1950s and 1960s.
Διονυσία (Dionysia) (Ancient Greek, “devotee of Dionysus (feminine)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Dennis, Dionysia, Denice, Deniece.
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. 'Denise', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Denise', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Denise popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,367 since 1939.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,677 | 123 |
| 2020 | #877 | 307 |
| 2010 | #488 | 619 |
| 2000 | #329 | 963 |
| 1990 | #152 | 1,955 |
| 1980 | #95 | 3,145 |
| 1970 | #36 | 9,343 |
| 1960 | #29 | 15,066 |
| 1950 | #82 | 4,514 |
| 1940 | #362 | 326 |
| 1930 | #773 | 83 |
| 1920 | #931 | 61 |
| 1910 | #1,985 | 7 |
| 1900 | #1,611 | 7 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Denise, counting every spelling?
Denise is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,012 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,677 for Denise on its own. Together these spellings went to 234 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denise | 123 | #1,677 | 736 |
| Denisse | 104 | #1,886 | 597 |
| Dennise | 7 | #12,230 | 70 |
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 Denise?
123 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Denise (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Denise 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 68 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Denise.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Denise?
About 320,500 people born in the US named Denise are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 53 and 68. That makes Denise a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Denise by state
How common Denise was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.9×), Texas (1.8×). In 33 states fewer than five girls 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 Denise: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Denise, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Denise · Sibling names for Denise
Questions about the name Denise
What does Denise mean?
Denise means “feminine of Dennis (Dionysius)” (French, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Denise?
Denise was the 1677th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 123 babies. Its best year was 1955, when it ranked 23rd; the most babies were born in 1961 (15,379). Over the last ten years it has moved down 680 places. More babies were named Denise in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Denise a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Denise in the US.
Where is Denise most popular?
In 2021–2025, Denise was most common in California (0.18 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Georgia.