The first name Dennis
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “follower of (the wine god) dionysus”.
Pronounced /ˈdɛnɪs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Dennis means “follower of (the wine god) dionysus” in Greek.
From Middle English Denis, from Old French saint's name Denis, brought to England by Normans; from Latin Dionysius, a masculine name literally meaning “follower of (the wine god) Dionysus”.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 81 boys were named Dennis, making it the 478th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 139 births (#343).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Dennis with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Dennis at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 381 boys born in the United States were named Dennis, the 707th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1952, when 24,552 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.
Dennis in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Dennis in Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Dennis
202 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Dennis M. RitchieAmerican computer scientist, co-inventor of the Unix operating system and the C programmin, 1941–2011
- Dennis HopperAmerican actor and film director (1936–2010)
- Dennis BergkampDutch association football player (born 1969)
- Dennis QuaidAmerican actor, born 1954
- Dennis RodmanAmerican basketball player (born 1961)
- Dennis TitoAmerican businessman, born 1940
- Dennis RommedahlDanish footballer, born 1978
- Dennis KucinichAmerican politician (born 1946)
- Dennis AogoGerman association football player, born 1987
- Dennis LehaneAmerican novelist (born 1965)
- Dennis FarinaAmerican actor (1944–2013)
- Dennis HaysbertAmerican actor (born 1954)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Dennis mean?
- Dennis means “follower of (the wine god) dionysus” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Dennis?
- From Middle English Denis, from Old French saint's name Denis, brought to England by Normans; from Latin Dionysius, a masculine name literally meaning “follower of (the wine god) Dionysus”.
- How popular is the name Dennis?
- In 2025, 81 boys born in England and Wales were named Dennis, ranking 478th. Its peak was 2017, with 139 births.
- What are nicknames for Dennis?
- Common nicknames for Dennis include Den, Dyson, Tyson.
- Is Dennis a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 623,692 US babies named Dennis since 1880 were boys.
- When was Dennis most popular?
- 1952 in the United States, when 24,552 babies were named Dennis, its highest rank at 18th.
- How do you pronounce Dennis?
- Dennis is /ˈdɛnɪs/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Dennis?
- Denis and Denys.
- Is Dennis also a surname?
- Yes. Dennis is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.