Total births
621,000
Boys' name · since 1880
Dennis
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 621,000 babies named Dennis, peaking in 1952. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #708
- among boys today
- 621,000
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
621,000 babies have been named Dennis since 1880, making it today's #708 boys' name.
Dennis has 621,000 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #708 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #708 among boys today
- 621,000 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dennis is currently the #708 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 621,000 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #708
- among boys today
- 621,000
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Dennis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#708
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Dennis was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
24,552 babies were named Dennis in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Dennis compares
621,000 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Dennis's all-time total is 1,692x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dennis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 621,000 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24,552 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dennis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Dennis's full recorded timeline at 1953, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 75 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1952 peak of 24,552 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Dennis at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1952
Current rank
#708
Active since
1880
Dennis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 24,552
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dennis popularity over time - girls
2,692 total births recorded since 1914 (Dennis as girls' name)
Dennis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Dennis's strongest decade.
204,267 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Dennis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,107
1880s
1,107 births
- 1890s 919
1890s
919 births
- 1900s 988
1900s
988 births
- 1910s 4,166
1910s
4,166 births
- 1920s 8,145
1920s
8,145 births
- 1930s 26,366
1930s
26,366 births
- 1940s
1940s
162,114 births
- 1950s
1950s
204,267 births
- 1960s
1960s
94,984 births
- 1970s 50,552
1970s
50,552 births
- 1980s 30,463
1980s
30,463 births
- 1990s 18,101
1990s
18,101 births
- 2000s 10,445
2000s
10,445 births
- 2010s 5,977
2010s
5,977 births
- 2020s 2,406
2020s
2,406 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 204,267 births (33% of all-time use).
How Dennis 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 Dennis's total volume
Dennis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dennis by state
Where Dennis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 52,336 | 8.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 46,268 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 42,413 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 38,680 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 37,410 | 6.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 35,706 | 5.7% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 22,665 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Texas | | 21,029 | 3.4% |
California share of Dennis's total US births 8.4%
Even split
52,336 of 621,000 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Dennis appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dennis? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 621,000 babies named Dennis. Today it holds rank #708 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1952, with 24,552 births.
When was Dennis most popular? ▼
Dennis was most popular in the 1950s decade with 204,267 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Dennis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dennis are California (52,336 births), New York (46,268 births), Pennsylvania (42,413 births).
How long has the name Dennis been used? ▼
Records for Dennis go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Dennis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Denis, Denver, Denny, Denzel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dennis's data
- Dennis's decade-level peak was the 1950s (204,267 total births); usage has since declined to 2,406 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Denniss (52,336 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 Dennis
Nearby Names Like Dennis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dennis
Denis Boy
#1641 20,733 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 Dennis side by side: Dennis vs Denis Dennis vs Denver Dennis vs Denny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dennis
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. "Dennis: #708 Boys' Name - 621,000 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dennis. 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 Dennis 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.