Girls' name · since 1928
Denese
Denese has 1,588 recorded births since 1928 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1954 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5,491 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,588
- born since 1928
- 1950s
- peak decade
1,588 girls have been named Denese since 1928, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Denese has 1,588 recorded births among girls since 1928, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1928 to 2006.
- #5,491 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,588 born since 1928
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Denese ranks #5,491 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,588 born since 1928, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5,491 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,588
- born since 1928
- 1950s
- peak decade
Denese's 1,588 recorded births place it above 92.4% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Denese's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Denese's SSA record in two at 1962 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1928, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1954 peak of 98, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Denese popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1928–2006
- Peak year (1954)
- 98
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Denese by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (646 births, 41% of the file).
1950s was Denese's strongest decade.
646 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Denese births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1930s 12
1930s
12 births
- 1940s 101
1940s
101 births
- 1950s
1950s
646 births
- 1960s
1960s
579 births
- 1970s 181
1970s
181 births
- 1980s 48
1980s
48 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 646 births (41% of all-time use).
How Denese compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Denese's total volume
Denese by state
Where Denese concentrates geographically, total births since 1928
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 129 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 51 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 47 | 3.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 24 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Florida | | 21 | 1.3% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 18 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.3% |
129 of 1,588 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Denese appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Denese? ▼
Where does Denese sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Denese most popular? ▼
Where is Denese most popular? ▼
How long has the name Denese been used? ▼
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What to do with Denese's data
- Denese's decade-level peak was the 1950s (646 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Deneses (129 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Denese
Nearby Names Like Denese
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Denese
Compare Denese side by side: Denese vs Denise Denese vs Dena Denese vs Denice
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Denese: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1954)
Similar record span (~78 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1928–2006 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Denese draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.