Denyla
A feminine name derived from the French "dénée", meaning "one who denies".
Name Census estimates that about 162 living Americans carry the first name Denyla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Denyla today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Denyla births was 2021 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Denyla. 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.
People living today
162
~ 1 in 2,115,768 Americans
Peak year
2021
14 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,694
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Denyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Denyla from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 76 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Denyla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Denyla 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 Denyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Denyla
The name Denyla finds its origins in the ancient Celtic language spoken by the Gauls of Western Europe during the Iron Age. It is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *denno-, meaning "valor" or "bravery", and the diminutive suffix -yla, which was commonly used to form affectionate versions of names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Denyla can be found in a collection of inscriptions on stone monuments erected by the Gauls in the region of modern-day France and Belgium. These inscriptions, dating back to the 3rd century BCE, were dedicated to various deities and often included the names of the individuals who commissioned the monuments.
While the name Denyla does not appear to have been widely used in ancient religious or philosophical texts, it did gain some prominence in the annals of medieval Europe. In the 9th century CE, a Frankish noblewoman named Denyla of Austrasia was noted for her patronage of monastic communities and her efforts to promote education among the nobility.
Another notable figure bearing the name Denyla was a 12th-century Occitan troubadour from the region of Provence in southern France. Known for her lyrical poetry and songs of courtly love, her works were widely circulated and admired throughout the courts of medieval Europe.
In the 15th century, a Scottish woman named Denyla Campbell gained recognition for her role in the defense of Dunstaffnage Castle during a siege by rival clans. Her acts of bravery and leadership were celebrated in local folklore and ballads.
During the Renaissance period, a Italian artist and sculptor named Denyla Fontana made significant contributions to the decoration of several churches and palaces in Rome and Florence. Her intricate marble sculptures and relief work can still be admired in various Italian cities today.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the name Denyla throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and cultural contexts. While the name may have waxed and waned in popularity over the centuries, its Celtic roots and associations with valor and affection have endured.
People
Denyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Denyla 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
Denyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Denyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 162 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Denyla 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 2,115,768 US residents.
Is Denyla a common name?
We classify Denyla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 163 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Denyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Denyla was 2021, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Denyla is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Denyla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Denyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Denyla in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Denyla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Denyla in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Denyla can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Denyla as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Denyla, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.