The first name Denise
A girl’s name from French meaning “follower of dionysus”.
Pronounced /dəˈniːs/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
French origin
Denise means “follower of dionysus” in French.
From French Denise, from Latin Dionȳsia (feminine form of Dionȳsius, a male name of Ancient Greek origin meaning “follower of Dionysus”). Dionysus is the mythological Greek god of wine responsible for growth of the vines and the originator of winemaking. Doublet of Dionysia.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 4 girls were named Denise, making it the 4,867th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1998, with 37 births (#664).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Denise with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Denise at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 123 girls born in the United States were named Denise, the 1,677th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1961, when 15,379 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Denise in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Denise in French and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Denise
- Denni
Famous people named Denise
72 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Denise RichardsAmerican actress, born 1971
- Denise CrosbyAmerican actress, born 1957
- Denise LevertovBritish-American poet (1923-1997)
- Denise LewisBritish athlete, born 1972
- Denise HoCanada - Hong Kong singer and social activist, born 1977
- Denise Herrmann-WickGerman cross-country skier and biathlete, born 1988
- Denise Scott BrownAmerican architect (born 1931)
- Marie-Denise VillersFrench painter (1774-1821)
- Denise MinaBritish crime writer and playwright, born 1966
- Denise BronzettiCaptain Regent, head of government for San Marino, born 1972
- Denise AlexanderAmerican actress, 1939–2025
- Denise NickersonAmerican actress (1957-2019)
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Denise mean?
- Denise means “follower of dionysus” in French.
- What is the origin of the name Denise?
- From French Denise, from Latin Dionȳsia (feminine form of Dionȳsius, a male name of Ancient Greek origin meaning “follower of Dionysus”). Dionysus is the mythological Greek god of wine responsible for growth of the vines and the originator of winemaking. Doublet of Dionysia.
- How popular is the name Denise?
- In 2025, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Denise, ranking 4,867th. Its peak was 1998, with 37 births.
- What are nicknames for Denise?
- Common nicknames for Denise include Denni.
- Is Denise a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 374,789 US babies named Denise since 1880 were girls.
- When was Denise most popular?
- 1961 in the United States, when 15,379 babies were named Denise, its highest rank at 30th.
- How do you pronounce Denise?
- Denise is /dəˈniːs/, 2 syllables.