Dennis

Dennis - A very unique male name

Dennis appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #206. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dennis and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dennis? 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 Dennis. The baby boy name Dennis was given to 325 baby boys in 2025, ranking #723 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 4,512 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dennis peaked in popularity 77 years ago in 1949 on position 16.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dennis, 1-5?

Dennis is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dennis is currently topping the baby name charts in Maryland at position #370 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #832.

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 Dennis is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Dennis origin and meaning

Greek, via French — from Dionysius

From Dionysius, 'follower of Dionysos', the Greek wine god; Saint Denis carried the French form into England

Dennis descends from Dionysius through Saint Denis of Paris. It was an American giant in the mid-20th century — over 24,000 births in 1952, helped by Dennis the Menace — and has fallen to a fraction of that today.

Attested etymology

Dennis is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Dennis

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

Dominic / Dominick / Dominique / Denis / 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 Dennis

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 Dennis 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 Dennis?

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 · /ˈdɛnɪs/

Around the world

• Denis (French) — The French form
• Dennis (German) — Used as-is in German
• Denis (Spanish) — A Spanish-used form

Spellings and nicknames

• Denis — French spelling, also used in English
• Denny — Nickname form sometimes given in full

Nicknames: DennyDen

Famous bearers

• Dennis Rodman — American NBA basketball player (b. 1961) Contemporary
• Dennis Quaid — American actor (b. 1954) Contemporary
• Dennis Hopper — American actor and filmmaker (1936–2010) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Dennis today is a grandfather-name revival candidate — everyone knows it, almost no baby gets it.

Worth knowing

• Dennis the Menace is still the reflexive association
• Its 1950s peak makes it feel dated to many