unisex name · in the US
Denver
DEN-ver (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 25,877
the United States
#520
2025 births
Denver is a unisex name of English origin meaning "the Danes' crossing". It names a village in Norfolk where Danish settlers forded the river, and reached most people through the Colorado city rather than the English original.
- Denver is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 995 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,667 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Denver Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 51 |
| 1900s | 136 |
| 1910s | 1,012 |
| 1920s | 1,813 |
| 1930s | 1,430 |
| 1940s | 1,498 |
| 1950s | 1,301 |
| 1960s | 984 |
| 1970s | 1,078 |
| 1980s | 1,086 |
| 1990s | 1,661 |
| 2000s | 1,887 |
| 2010s | 3,860 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,598 |
What Denver Means
Denver means the ford or passage of the Danes, from the Norfolk village. A competing derivation reads it as from Anvers, the French name for Antwerp, and surname dictionaries do not agree on which line a given family follows.
Where Denver Comes From
Denver is a habitational name from Denver in Norfolk, recorded in Domesday as Danefella and read as the Danes' ford or passage — the eastern counties are full of place names recording Scandinavian settlement. The surname passed to America, where James W. Denver, governor of Kansas Territory, gave his name to the Colorado city founded in 1858. Most modern use of the given name follows the city, and in Britain it also carries John Denver, whose stage name was itself taken from the city rather than his family. A second derivation offered by several sources takes the surname from Anvers, the French name for Antwerp, marking a family that came from there — which is a different origin rather than a variant of the first. It appears in birth records in every year from 1880.
Denver in Use
Denver appears in birth records from 1880 and charts in only four markets.
How Popular Is Denver?
In 2025, Denver was given to 904 babies in the United States, ranking #520 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Denver 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 Denver
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Denver Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Denver over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Denver is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 38% girls · 7,882 babies
- Canada Both 14% girls · 691 babies
- England & Wales Both 17% girls · 373 babies
- France Boys' 0% girls · 130 babies
How to Say Denver
- English DEN-ver /ˈdɛnvər/
1 nickname for Denver
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.
Sibling Names for Denver
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Denver — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Denver
What does the name Denver mean?
The Danes' crossing, from a village in Norfolk. A competing derivation reads it as from Anvers, the French name for Antwerp, and the two are not reconciled.
Is Denver named after the city?
Most modern use is. The city was named for James W. Denver, and the surname before that comes from the Norfolk village.
Is Denver a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, though it is given more often to boys.
How popular is the name Denver?
In 2025, Denver was given to 904 babies in the United States, ranking #520 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Denver?
Denver has 2 syllables.
When was Denver most popular?
Denver peaked in 2024, when 995 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Denver?
Denver is usually shortened to Den.
Is Denver a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Denver currently ranks #422 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.