# Dennis (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/dennis/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 78,482 |
| US rank (2010) | 409 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 3,934 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.9% (74,784 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛnɪs/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Denis, Denys |

## Etymology

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”.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Dennis in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 66% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 28% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Dennis in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

## People named Dennis

- Sandy Dennis, American actress (1937–1992)
- Ron Dennis, British businessman
- Rohan Dennis, Australian racing cyclist
- Clare Dennis, Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist (1916–1971)
- Gabrielle Dennis, American actress
- Olive Dennis, American engineer (1885-1957)
- Hugh Dennis, British comedian
- Roy L. Dennis, American boy with a rare disorder
- Matt Dennis, American singer, pianist, band leader, arranger, and writer of music (1914–2002)
- C. J. Dennis, Australian poet (1876–1938)
- Nick Dennis, American actor (1904-1980)
- RayJ Dennis, American basketball player (born 2001)

and 6 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Denis, Deans, Donis, Danis, Deines, Deniz, Deng, Denk, Downs, Dang, Duong, Dumas.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.