Total births
20,733
Boys' name · since 1880
Denis
Denis has 20,733 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1952 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1641
- among boys today
- 20,733
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Denis is the #1641 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 20,733 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Denis recorded 20,733 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1641 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1641 among boys today
- 20,733 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Denis is currently the #1641 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 20,733 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1641
- among boys today
- 20,733
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Denis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1641
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Denis was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
618 babies were named Denis in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Denis compares
20,733 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Denis's all-time total is 56x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Denis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,733 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 618 | 23 | 22,252 |
Denis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Denis splits its recorded history at 1955: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1952 peak of 618 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Denis at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1952
Current rank
#1,641
Active since
1880
Denis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 618
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Denis popularity over time - girls
873 total births recorded since 1938 (Denis as girls' name)
Denis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Denis's strongest decade.
4,953 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Denis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 81
1880s
81 births
- 1890s 68
1890s
68 births
- 1900s 55
1900s
55 births
- 1910s 300
1910s
300 births
- 1920s 616
1920s
616 births
- 1930s 1,648
1930s
1,648 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,713 births
- 1950s
1950s
4,953 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,755 births
- 1970s 1,398
1970s
1,398 births
- 1980s 1,025
1980s
1,025 births
- 1990s 1,062
1990s
1,062 births
- 2000s 1,365
2000s
1,365 births
- 2010s 1,094
2010s
1,094 births
- 2020s 600
2020s
600 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 4,953 births (24% of all-time use).
How Denis compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Denis's total volume
Denis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Denis by state
Where Denis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,667 | 17.7% |
| #2 | California | | 1,676 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 1,402 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,095 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 951 | 4.6% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 743 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 699 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 636 | 3.1% |
New York share of Denis's total US births 17.7%
Even split
3,667 of 20,733 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Denis appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Denis? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 20,733 babies named Denis. Today it holds rank #1641 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1952, with 618 births.
When was Denis most popular? ▼
Denis was most popular in the 1950s decade with 4,953 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Denis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Denis are New York (3,667 births), California (1,676 births), Massachusetts (1,402 births).
How long has the name Denis been used? ▼
Denis has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Denis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dennis, Denver, Denny, Denzel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Denis's data
- Denis's decade-level peak was the 1950s (4,953 total births); usage has since declined to 600 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Deniss (3,667 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Denis
Nearby Names Like Denis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Denis
Dennis Boy
#708 621,000 births
Denver Boy
#488 19,178 births
Denny Boy
#4326 15,417 births
Denzel Boy
#1026 11,738 births
Denton Boy
#3988 5,143 births
Compare Denis side by side: Denis vs Dennis Denis vs Denver Denis vs Denny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Denis
Akari #1640
1,278 births · Peak 2025
Adolfo #1642
16,195 births · Peak 2003
Artemis #1639
847 births · Peak 2022
Marcelino #1643
7,476 births · Peak 2006
Divine #1638
1,841 births · Peak 2024
Mickey #1644
27,627 births · Peak 1957
Kentrell #1637
4,277 births · Peak 2019
Everson #1645
835 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Denis: #1641 Boys' Name - 20,733 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/denis. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Denis 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 June 2026.