Total births
373,422
Girls' name · since 1882
Denise
Denise has 373,422 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1896
- among girls today
- 373,422
- born since 1882
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
373,422 babies have been named Denise since 1882, making it today's #1896 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Denise has been recorded 373,422 times among girls since 1882, currently ranked #1896 nationally and more common than 89% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1896 among girls today
- 373,422 born since 1882
- 1960s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Denise is currently the #1896 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 373,422 born since 1882, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1896
- among girls today
- 373,422
- born since 1882
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Denise vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1896
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Denise was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
15,379 babies were named Denise in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Denise compares
373,422 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Denise's all-time total is 978x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Denise | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 373,422 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 15,379 | 48 | 19,840 |
Denise's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Denise splits its recorded history at 1962: 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 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1961 peak of 15,379 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Denise at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#1,896
Active since
1882
Denise popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 15,379
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Denise popularity over time - boys
1,367 total births recorded since 1939 (Denise as boys' name)
Denise by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Denise's strongest decade.
128,824 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Denise births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 58
1900s
58 births
- 1910s 203
1910s
203 births
- 1920s 633
1920s
633 births
- 1930s 1,646
1930s
1,646 births
- 1940s 10,105
1940s
10,105 births
- 1950s
1950s
123,783 births
- 1960s
1960s
128,824 births
- 1970s
1970s
55,868 births
- 1980s 25,113
1980s
25,113 births
- 1990s 13,747
1990s
13,747 births
- 2000s 9,062
2000s
9,062 births
- 2010s 3,319
2010s
3,319 births
- 2020s 1,043
2020s
1,043 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 128,824 births (34% of all-time use).
How Denise 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 Denise's total volume
Denise vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Denise by state
Where Denise concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 46,947 | 12.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 43,794 | 11.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 28,392 | 7.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 23,427 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 21,154 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 20,449 | 5.5% |
| #7 | Texas | | 17,415 | 4.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 16,253 | 4.4% |
California share of Denise's total US births 12.6%
Even split
46,947 of 373,422 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Denise appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Denise? ▼
373,422 babies have been named Denise since 1882. It currently ranks #1896 among girls. The peak year was 1961 with 15,379 births.
When was Denise most popular? ▼
Denise was most popular in the 1960s decade with 128,824 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Denise most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Denise are California (46,947 births), New York (43,794 births), Pennsylvania (28,392 births).
How long has the name Denise been used? ▼
Records for Denise go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Denise? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dena, Denice, Denisse, Denisha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Denise's data
- Denise's decade-level peak was the 1960s (128,824 total births); usage has since declined to 1,043 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Denises (46,947 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Denise
Nearby Names Like Denise
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Denise
Dena Girl
#4674 32,479 births
Denice Girl
#13620 10,649 births
Denisse Girl
#1959 7,370 births
Denisha Girl
4,306 births
Denver Girl
#780 4,235 births
Compare Denise side by side: Denise vs Dena Denise vs Denice Denise vs Denisse
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Denise
Coral #1895
10,971 births · Peak 2004
Catarina #1897
3,965 births · Peak 2023
Novalynn #1894
865 births · Peak 2025
Ofelia #1898
8,992 births · Peak 1929
Naliyah #1893
1,332 births · Peak 2024
Luana #1899
4,893 births · Peak 1947
Zariya #1892
1,981 births · Peak 2011
Cosette #1900
3,080 births · Peak 2015
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Denise: #1896 Girls' Name - 373,422 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/denise. 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 Denise 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.