boy's name
Dennis
DEN-is
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 629,750
the United States
#708
2025 births
Dennis is a boy's name that traces back to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and ecstatic release — one of the few widely used Christian names derived from a pagan deity. It peaked in 1952 and ranks 483rd in England and Wales.
- Dennis is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1952, when 24,605 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 8,702 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dennis 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 | 1,107 |
| 1890s | 919 |
| 1900s | 988 |
| 1910s | 4,203 |
| 1920s | 8,241 |
| 1930s | 26,507 |
| 1940s | 162,574 |
| 1950s | 204,785 |
| 1960s | 95,405 |
| 1970s | 50,912 |
| 1980s | 30,712 |
| 1990s | 18,270 |
| 2000s | 10,621 |
| 2010s | 6,018 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,430 |
What Dennis means
Dennis means a follower of Dionysus. The name identifies someone as belonging to the god rather than describing any quality of the person, which is how most theophoric names of its period worked.
Where Dennis comes from
Dennis comes through the French Denis from the Latin Dionysius, meaning of Dionysus — the Greek god of wine, theater and ecstatic release. That a name honoring a pagan deity became thoroughly Christian is down to Saint Denis, the third-century first bishop of Paris, who was beheaded on Montmartre and is said in legend to have picked up his own head and walked several miles while preaching. He is the patron saint of France, and the basilica of Saint-Denis holds the tombs of nearly every French king. The English Dennis is the Norman form; the same source gives Denise, Dion and the surname Dennison.
Dennis in use
Dennis peaked in the United States in 1952, when 24,605 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 483rd in England and Wales on 81 births, 708th in the United States on 381 and 6489th in France, across 629,750 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. It holds a markedly better position in England and Wales than in either of the other two.
How popular is Dennis?
In 2025, Dennis was given to 381 babies in the United States, ranking #708 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Dennis 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 Dennis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Dennis also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dennis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Dennis
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.
Dennis 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 Dennis
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Dennis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Dennis
What does the name Dennis mean?
A follower of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theater.
Is Dennis a Christian name?
Thoroughly, through Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris and patron saint of France — despite the pagan root.
Is it Dennis or Denis?
Denis is the French spelling and Dennis the English one; both are in use.
How popular is Dennis?
483rd in England and Wales and 708th in the United States.
Is Dennis a girl's or a boy's name?
Dennis is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dennis?
Dennis has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Dennis?
Dennis is usually shortened to Den and Denny.
Is Dennis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dennis currently ranks #483 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.