Find out how popular the first name Dionysius has been for the last 22 years (from 1981 to 2002) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Dionysius by gender

Based on the last 22 years of data, Dionysius is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2002, there were 7 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Dionysius.

The history of the first name Dionysius

The name Dionysius has its origins in ancient Greek culture and language. It is derived from the name of the Greek god Dionysus, also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology. Dionysus was the god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theater.

The name Dionysius was quite common in ancient Greece and the wider Hellenistic world. It appears in various historical records, literature, and inscriptions from the classical era. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC.

Dionysius was a popular name among prominent figures in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire. Some notable individuals who bore this name include Dionysius I, the tyrant of Syracuse in the 5th century BC; Dionysius the Areopagite, a judge of the Areopagus court in Athens who later became a Christian convert; and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric who lived in the 1st century BC.

During the Byzantine period, several emperors and patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church were named Dionysius. One of the most famous was Dionysius Exiguus, a 6th-century monk and scholar who introduced the practice of dating events from the birth of Christ (Anno Domini or A.D.).

In the Middle Ages, the name Dionysius was also used by several Christian saints and scholars. St. Dionysius the Areopagite, the convert mentioned earlier, was venerated as the patron saint of the city of Paris and is believed to have been the first bishop of the city. Another notable figure was Dionysius the Carthusian, a 15th-century theologian and mystic.

Throughout history, the name Dionysius has been used by various individuals, including writers, philosophers, and religious figures. Some examples include Dionysius of Byzantium, a 2nd-century BC grammarian; Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a 1st-century BC historian and literary critic; and Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, a Christian theologian and philosopher whose works had a significant influence on medieval thought.

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 Dionysius was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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