Dennis
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DEN-is
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #521 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #707 for boys
Dennis is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “of Dionysus”. In 2025 it ranked 521st for boys in the UK (81 babies) and 707th for boys in the US (381 babies).
What does Dennis mean?
Greek: English spelling of Denis, from Dionysius
“of Dionysus”
The English spelling of Denis, from the Greek Dionysios, follower of the god Dionysus.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Dennis a girl's or a boy's name?
Dennis is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 81 boys in the UK and 381 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Dennis in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #521among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 81about 1 in 3,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 81 boys in the UK were named Dennis, making it the 521st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 412th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 147 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Dennis than any year since 2010.
Half of all the boys named Dennis in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 169 boys in the UK were given Dennis or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #311, up from #521 for this spelling alone.
- Denis 88
- Dennis 81
Among boys in 2025, it was 478th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#87), 1914 (#56), 1924 (#20), 1934 (#19), 1944 (#34), 1954 (#55) and 1964 (#96).
Dennis in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 | #521 |
| 2024 | 89 | #498 |
| 2023 | 93 | #470 |
| 2022 | 110 | #421 |
| 2021 | 127 | #388 |
| 2020 | 115 | #412 |
| 2019 | 117 | #420 |
| 2018 | 134 | #373 |
| 2017 | 147 | #363 |
| 2016 | 145 | #361 |
| 2015 | 122 | #393 |
| 2014 | 116 | #400 |
| 2013 | 123 | #376 |
| 2012 | 98 | #452 |
| 2011 | 103 | #424 |
| 2010 | 80 | #493 |
| 2009 | 98 | #427 |
| 2008 | 82 | #485 |
| 2007 | 113 | #357 |
| 2006 | 115 | #333 |
| 2005 | 102 | #344 |
| 2004 | 90 | #362 |
| 2003 | 65 | #437 |
| 2002 | 45 | #530 |
| 2001 | 64 | #412 |
| 2000 | 39 | #562 |
| 1999 | 58 | #427 |
| 1998 | 62 | #404 |
| 1997 | 71 | #374 |
| 1996 | 59 | #395 |
How popular is Dennis in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #707among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 381about 1 in 4,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 17% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 381 boys in the US were named Dennis, making it the 707th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 647th. Its busiest year was 1952, with 24,552 boys.
Half of all the boys named Dennis in the US since 1880 were born between 1947 and 1965, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 476 boys in the US were given Dennis or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #579, up from #707 for this spelling alone.
- Dennis 381
- Denis 95
Dennis in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 381 | #707 |
| 2024 | 376 | #708 |
| 2023 | 427 | #644 |
| 2022 | 423 | #652 |
| 2021 | 385 | #689 |
| 2020 | 414 | #647 |
| 2019 | 510 | #553 |
| 2018 | 497 | #556 |
| 2017 | 516 | #545 |
| 2016 | 587 | #510 |
| 2015 | 592 | #494 |
| 2014 | 578 | #486 |
| 2013 | 625 | #454 |
| 2012 | 661 | #424 |
| 2011 | 685 | #413 |
| 2010 | 726 | #391 |
| 2009 | 845 | #362 |
| 2008 | 833 | #368 |
| 2007 | 968 | #330 |
| 2006 | 1,029 | #313 |
| 2005 | 1,040 | #316 |
| 2004 | 1,017 | #308 |
| 2003 | 1,109 | #282 |
| 2002 | 1,081 | #280 |
| 2001 | 1,180 | #270 |
| 2000 | 1,343 | #251 |
| 1999 | 1,340 | #239 |
| 1998 | 1,318 | #238 |
| 1997 | 1,489 | #209 |
| 1996 | 1,540 | #203 |
| 1995 | 1,689 | #185 |
| 1994 | 1,788 | #177 |
| 1993 | 1,964 | #164 |
| 1992 | 2,165 | #150 |
| 1991 | 2,314 | #138 |
| 1990 | 2,494 | #129 |
| 1989 | 2,675 | #123 |
| 1988 | 2,652 | #116 |
| 1987 | 2,756 | #107 |
| 1986 | 2,705 | #104 |
| 1985 | 2,845 | #103 |
| 1984 | 2,953 | #97 |
| 1983 | 3,047 | #92 |
| 1982 | 3,392 | #87 |
| 1981 | 3,634 | #83 |
| 1980 | 3,804 | #80 |
| 1979 | 4,080 | #75 |
| 1978 | 3,861 | #71 |
| 1977 | 4,152 | #68 |
| 1976 | 4,169 | #66 |
| 1975 | 4,730 | #59 |
| 1974 | 4,880 | #59 |
| 1973 | 5,176 | #56 |
| 1972 | 5,608 | #52 |
| 1971 | 6,584 | #49 |
| 1970 | 7,312 | #46 |
| 1969 | 7,357 | #44 |
| 1968 | 7,403 | #45 |
| 1967 | 7,636 | #43 |
| 1966 | 7,786 | #44 |
| 1965 | 8,215 | #44 |
| 1964 | 9,327 | #42 |
| 1963 | 9,821 | #39 |
| 1962 | 10,633 | #37 |
| 1961 | 12,503 | #34 |
| 1960 | 14,303 | #31 |
| 1959 | 16,043 | #29 |
| 1958 | 16,418 | #29 |
| 1957 | 16,917 | #28 |
| 1956 | 18,359 | #26 |
| 1955 | 20,436 | #23 |
| 1954 | 20,758 | #21 |
| 1953 | 23,658 | #19 |
| 1952 | 24,552 | #18 |
| 1951 | 24,264 | #17 |
| 1950 | 22,862 | #17 |
| 1949 | 21,746 | #16 |
| 1948 | 21,765 | #17 |
| 1947 | 23,686 | #17 |
| 1946 | 21,447 | #17 |
| 1945 | 14,990 | #19 |
| 1944 | 13,676 | #20 |
| 1943 | 14,116 | #20 |
| 1942 | 13,281 | #20 |
| 1941 | 9,562 | #23 |
| 1940 | 7,845 | #24 |
| 1939 | 6,212 | #34 |
| 1938 | 4,236 | #49 |
| 1937 | 3,160 | #63 |
| 1936 | 2,627 | #74 |
| 1935 | 2,597 | #72 |
| 1934 | 2,053 | #95 |
| 1933 | 1,685 | #106 |
| 1932 | 1,421 | #121 |
| 1931 | 1,202 | #138 |
| 1930 | 1,173 | #145 |
| 1929 | 997 | #154 |
| 1928 | 957 | #159 |
| 1927 | 919 | #163 |
| 1926 | 838 | #173 |
| 1925 | 826 | #177 |
| 1924 | 807 | #178 |
| 1923 | 773 | #181 |
| 1922 | 677 | #198 |
| 1921 | 727 | #190 |
| 1920 | 624 | #207 |
| 1919 | 626 | #202 |
| 1918 | 637 | #202 |
| 1917 | 582 | #199 |
| 1916 | 532 | #206 |
| 1915 | 514 | #209 |
| 1914 | 382 | #211 |
| 1913 | 324 | #205 |
| 1912 | 268 | #206 |
| 1911 | 166 | #187 |
| 1910 | 135 | #195 |
| 1909 | 120 | #186 |
| 1908 | 101 | #200 |
| 1907 | 111 | #190 |
| 1906 | 89 | #197 |
| 1905 | 106 | #179 |
| 1904 | 90 | #195 |
| 1903 | 75 | #206 |
| 1902 | 85 | #194 |
| 1901 | 79 | #183 |
| 1900 | 132 | #158 |
| 1899 | 86 | #169 |
| 1898 | 99 | #166 |
| 1897 | 96 | #161 |
| 1896 | 90 | #178 |
| 1895 | 108 | #142 |
| 1894 | 84 | #179 |
| 1893 | 83 | #172 |
| 1892 | 82 | #190 |
| 1891 | 89 | #147 |
| 1890 | 102 | #138 |
| 1889 | 111 | #128 |
| 1888 | 106 | #145 |
| 1887 | 93 | #139 |
| 1886 | 98 | #138 |
| 1885 | 112 | #122 |
| 1884 | 113 | #127 |
| 1883 | 112 | #115 |
| 1882 | 135 | #108 |
| 1881 | 99 | #120 |
| 1880 | 128 | #105 |
Nicknames for Dennis
- Den
Names like Dennis
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Douglas Francis Stanley Frederick David Robin Otis Edward Arthur Freddie George Thomas
Other spellings of Dennis
Names related to Dennis
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris
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, “Dennis: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/dennis, updated 20 October 2026.