girl's name
Denise
duh-NEESS
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 647,507
Scotland
#499
2005 births
Denise is a girl's name, the French feminine of Denis, and like it traces to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. It peaked in 1961 and has fallen to 1681st in the United States.
- Denise is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1961, when 15,422 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 26,954 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1882.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Denise over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 12 |
| 1890s | 6 |
| 1900s | 58 |
| 1910s | 203 |
| 1920s | 633 |
| 1930s | 1,651 |
| 1940s | 10,122 |
| 1950s | 124,104 |
| 1960s | 129,281 |
| 1970s | 56,111 |
| 1980s | 25,318 |
| 1990s | 13,838 |
| 2000s | 9,085 |
| 2010s | 3,319 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,048 |
What Denise means
Denise means a follower of Dionysus. It is the feminine of Denis, so it carries the same association with the god rather than any separate sense.
Where Denise comes from
Denise is the French feminine of Denis, from the Latin Dionysius — of Dionysus. The masculine gained its Christian standing from Saint Denis, the beheaded first bishop of Paris; the feminine developed in medieval France and was borrowed into English in the twentieth century rather than being formed there. Its American curve is compressed and mid-century, peaking in 1961 and falling steeply, which is the signature of a name adopted for its French sound rather than through any family tradition — the same pattern as Michelle and Danielle, both of which follow it by a decade or two.
Denise in use
Denise peaked in the United States in 1961, when 15,422 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 1681st in the United States on 123 births, 1735th in France on 20 and 5710th in England and Wales, across 647,507 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. It now ranks lower in France than in the United States, despite being a French formation.
How popular is Denise?
In 2025, Denise was given to 123 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Denise is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Denise
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Denise also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Denise over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Denise
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Denise in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Denise
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Denise — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Denise
What does the name Denise mean?
A follower of Dionysus — it is the French feminine of Denis.
Is Denise a French name?
The formation is French, though it now ranks lower in France than in the United States.
Is Denise related to Dennis?
Yes, directly — Denise is its feminine form.
How popular is Denise?
1681st in the United States, down from a 1961 peak of 15,422 births.
Is Denise a girl's or a boy's name?
Denise is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Denise?
Denise has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Denise?
Denise is usually shortened to Dee.
Is Denise a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Denise currently ranks #1,681 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.