Find out how popular the first name Denis has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Denis by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Denis is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 90% of people named Denis being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 113 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Denis.

The history of the first name Denis

The name Denis is derived from the ancient Greek name Dionysios, which was the name of the Greek god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, and madness. The name Dionysios is thought to have originated from the Greek words "dios" meaning divine and "nysus" meaning tree or vegetation. The name was Latinized to Dionysius during the Roman era.

Denis was a common name among early Christians, particularly in France, as it was borne by St. Denis, the patron saint of France. According to tradition, St. Denis was a Christian missionary who was martyred in the 3rd century AD and is often depicted carrying his own severed head.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Denis can be found in the 7th century AD, when a French abbot and scholar named Denis Petau or Dionysius Petavius (1583-1652) wrote extensively on theology and chronology. Another early bearer of the name was Denis the Carthusian (1402-1471), a Flemish theologian and mystic.

In the Middle Ages, the name Denis was popular in France and other parts of Europe, particularly among the nobility. One notable bearer of the name was Denis Papin (1647-1712), a French physicist, mathematician, and inventor, best known for his pioneering work on the steam digester, an early version of the pressure cooker.

During the Renaissance period, the name Denis was also used by several notable figures, including Denis Diderot (1713-1784), a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, who was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment and served as the chief editor of the famous Encyclopédie.

In more recent history, the name Denis has been borne by several influential people, such as Denis Waitley (born 1933), an American motivational speaker and author, and Denis Naughten (born 1973), an Irish politician who has served as a member of the Irish parliament since 1997.

Throughout its long history, the name Denis has maintained its connection to its ancient Greek roots, symbolizing vitality, celebration, and a connection to nature and the divine.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Denis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Denis, please contact us.

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