Denis

Denis - A very unique male name

Denis appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #764. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Denis and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Denis? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Denis. The baby boy name Denis was given to 64 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1541 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 22,911 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Denis peaked in popularity 74 years ago in 1952 on position 285.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Denis, 1-5?

Denis is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Denis is currently topping the baby name charts in Maryland at position #729 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,036.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Denis is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Denis origin and meaning

Greek, via French

French form of Dennis, from Greek Dionysios, 'follower of Dionysus'

Denis is the French form of Dennis, borne by Saint Denis of Paris. In the U.S. it peaked in 1952 and is now rising modestly again.

Attested etymology

Denis is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Denis, pop culture references for the name Denis and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Denis

We've found the following names that sound similar to Denis, sorted by popularity.

Dennis / Dominic / Dominick / Dominique / Domingo / Domenic / Dominik / Domenick / Domenico / Dominque /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Denis

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Denis a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Denis?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

DEN-is · /ˈdɛn.ɪs/

Around the world

• Denis (French) — Used as-is in French
• Dennis (English) — The usual English form

Spellings and nicknames

• Dennis — The usual English spelling

Famous bearers

• Denis Leary — American comedian and actor (b. 1957) Contemporary
• Saint Denis — Early bishop of Paris and patron saint of France (3rd century) Historical

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Denis for the classic Dennis sound with a leaner, French-leaning spelling.

Worth knowing

• Will often be spelled Dennis by others