Denim
A unisex name of French origin meaning "course fabric".
Name Census estimates that about 3,436 living Americans carry the first name Denim. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Denim today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Denim births was 2024 (281 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Denim. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Denim is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.4K
~ 1 in 99,754 Americans
Peak year
2024
281 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,110
Tracked since 1973
Gender
Gender distribution for Denim
Denim is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 3,467 total registrations, 2,447 (70.6%) were male and 1,020 (29.4%) were female.
Denim as a male name
- Ranked #1,110 in 2024
- 192 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (192 births)
Denim as a female name
- Ranked #2,132 in 2024
- 89 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (89 births)
Popularity
Denim: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Denim from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,484 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Denim remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Denim by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Denim during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Denims live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. Texas, Louisiana, New York recorded the most babies named Denim, while Kentucky, Mississippi, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 92 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Denim
The given name Denim is of English origin, derived from the French phrase "de Nimes" which translates to "from Nimes". Nimes is a city in southern France known for its production of a durable cotton twill fabric, now referred to as denim. The name initially referred to this fabric, rather than a personal name.
The earliest recorded use of the term "denim" dates back to the late 17th century, around the 1690s, when it was used to describe the sturdy woven cloth made in the city of Nimes. Over time, as the fabric gained popularity and became associated with clothing, particularly jeans, the name Denim emerged as a unique given name.
There are no known historical references or mentions of the name Denim in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records prior to its association with the fabric. The name's popularity as a given name is a relatively modern phenomenon.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Denim is Denim Bradshaw, an American businessman born in 1962. He is the founder and former CEO of a successful jeans manufacturing company, which may have influenced his parents' choice of this unique name.
Another notable individual with the name Denim is Denim Lewis, an American fashion designer born in 1975. She is known for her line of denim-inspired clothing and accessories, further cementing the connection between the name and the fabric.
In the world of music, Denim Sundae is the stage name of an American singer-songwriter born in 1988. Her unique name has contributed to her distinctive and memorable brand.
Denim Millipede, born in 1972, is a British artist and sculptor known for his large-scale installations and sculptures made from recycled denim jeans, further emphasizing the name's association with the fabric.
Lastly, Denim Davie, born in 1982, is a Canadian professional wrestler whose ring name also reflects the connection between the name and the iconic denim fabric associated with ruggedness and durability.
While the name Denim is relatively uncommon, these individuals have embraced its unique origins and associations, contributing to its recognition as a distinctive given name in various fields.
People
Denim + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Denim as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Denim: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Denim?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Denim going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 99,754 US residents.
Is Denim a common name?
We classify Denim as "Rare". It ranks above 95.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,467 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Denim most popular?
The single biggest year for Denim was 2024, when 281 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Denim is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Denim a male name?
Yes, 70.6% of people registered as Denim in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.