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Denis

Gender
Boy
Say it
DEN-is
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#488 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,708 for boys

Denis is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “of Dionysus”. In 2025 it ranked 488th for boys in the UK (88 babies) and 1,708th for boys in the US (95 babies).

What does Denis mean?

Greek: French form of Dionysius

“of Dionysus”

St Denis, a 3rd-century bishop of Paris, is a patron saint of France.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Denis a girl's or a boy's name?

Denis is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 88 boys in the UK and 6 girls and 95 boys in the US.

How popular is Denis in the UK?

Rank in 2025
488th among boys
Babies in 2025
88 about 1 in 3,400 boys
Five-year trend
Falling down 49% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 88 boys in the UK were named Denis, making it the 488th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 282nd. Its busiest year was 2017, with 204 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Denis than any year since 2010.

Half of all the boys named Denis in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 169 boys in the UK were given Denis or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #311, up from #488 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 484th in England and Wales, 762nd in Scotland and 314th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#98), 1914 (#69), 1924 (#58), 1934 (#64), 1944 (#85) and 1954 (#97).

1996Busiest: 204 in 20172025
Denis in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202588#488
202498#453
2023104#432
2022137#353
2021136#366
2020185#282
2019187#286
2018201#283
2017204#285
2016149#355
2015136#377
2014115#404
2013116#399
201293#472
201196#444
201083#487
200957#629
200873#527
200765#544
200674#477
200561#511
200446#607
200349#540
200233#658
200140#550
200031#654
199929#667
199819#878
199714#1,066
199620#797

How popular is Denis in the US?

Rank in 2025
1,708th among boys
Babies in 2025
95 about 1 in 18,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steady up 1% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 95 boys in the US were named Denis, making it the 1,708th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,673rd. Its busiest year was 1952, with 618 boys. 6 girls were also named Denis in 2025 (13,203rd for girls).

Half of all the boys named Denis in the US since 1880 were born between 1947 and 1979, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 476 boys in the US were given Denis or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #579, up from #1,708 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 618 in 19522025
Denis in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
202595#1,708
2024103#1,641
2023113#1,547
2022102#1,678
202192#1,750
202095#1,673
2019123#1,420
201890#1,724
201795#1,661
201688#1,754
2015110#1,502
2014102#1,559
2013120#1,399
2012124#1,359
2011117#1,411
2010125#1,358
2009144#1,241
2008132#1,319
2007158#1,132
2006158#1,106
2005141#1,142
2004147#1,079
2003144#1,075
2002117#1,189
2001114#1,189
2000110#1,218
199999#1,246
1998110#1,130
1997105#1,158
1996102#1,153
1995105#1,104
199495#1,164
1993101#1,114
1992113#1,026
1991121#962
1990111#996
1989115#948
198888#1,056
1987101#938
1986111#860
198598#917
198479#999
198399#884
198286#969
1981125#780
1980123#789
1979108#835
1978107#826
1977129#751
1976138#711
1975122#754
1974134#710
1973131#700
1972158#625
1971169#633
1970202#570
1969200#556
1968224#504
1967212#515
1966273#461
1965270#474
1964275#477
1963302#455
1962326#439
1961310#459
1960363#416
1959374#410
1958409#387
1957389#387
1956493#335
1955491#333
1954574#297
1953583#291
1952618#277
1951541#296
1950481#312
1949393#338
1948428#323
1947496#309
1946448#307
1945327#328
1944312#337
1943343#330
1942392#311
1941302#332
1940272#345
1939296#317
1938242#357
1937198#392
1936166#433
1935170#430
1934143#475
1933146#457
1932102#587
193197#596
193088#662
192972#742
192869#779
192774#762
192682#699
192568#801
192458#916
192347#1,026
192254#949
192144#1,058
192048#987
191935#1,188
191848#966
191747#934
191638#1,043
191538#1,037
191430#1,019
191321#1,112
191222#970
191112#981
19109#1,117
19096#1,277
19088#1,021
19070–
19067#1,003
19058#918
19048#874
19030–
19020–
19015#1,057
190013#698
18990–
189811#662
18970–
189610#722
189512#609
18946#953
18937#836
189210#687
18915#962
18907#814
18896#878
18887#815
18878#679
18867#758
18859#641
18846#848
18837#720
188212#540
18819#595
188010#600

Nicknames for Denis

Names like Denis

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Douglas, Francis, Stanley, Frederick, Otis, Arthur, Tommy, Eric, Robin, David, Vincent, Freddie

Other spellings of Denis

Dennis

Names related to Denis

Deniz, Denas, Denys, Danis, Dennys

More Greek names

Luca, Theodore, Sophia, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Denis: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/denis, updated 20 October 2026.