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Updated May 24, 2023

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Greek : Fine wine lover

Boy name variations

Denis

Denis

+ 7% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dennys

Dennys

+ 40% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dennison

Dennison

- 29% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Denniston

Denniston

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Denzel

Denzel

+ 47% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Denzil

Denzil

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Denzell

Denzell

- 42% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Denit

Denit

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dennet

Dennet

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dennett

Dennett

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dennit

Dennit

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Dion

Dion

+ 25% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Denny

Denny

+ 23% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Tennis

Tennis

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Tennyson

Tennyson

+ 31% this year
Masculine
Rare
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How Popular Is The Name Dennis

Family name origins & meanings

  • English : from the medieval personal name Den(n)is (Latin Dionysius, Greek Dionysios ‘(follower) of Dionysos’, an eastern god introduced to the classical pantheon at a relatively late date and bearing a name of probably Semitic origin). The name was borne by various early saints, including St Denis, the martyred 3rd-century bishop of Paris who became the patron of France; the popularity of the name in England from the 12th century onwards seems to have been largely due to French influence. The feminine form Dionysia (in the vernacular likewise Den(n)is) is also found, and some examples of the surname may represent a metronymic form.
  • English : variant of Dench.
  • Irish (mainly Dublin and Cork) : of the same origin as 1 and 2, sometimes an alternative form to Donohue but more often to MacDonough, since the personal name Donnchadh was Anglicized as Donough or Denis.
  • Irish (Ulster and Munster) : Anglicized form of the rare Gaelic name Ó Donnghusa ‘descendant of Donnghus’, a personal name from donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + gus ‘vigor’.

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