Total births
5,143
Boys' name · since 1881
Denton
Denton has 5,143 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1994 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3988
- among boys today
- 5,143
- born since 1881
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Denton is the #3988 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,143 recorded since 1881.
Denton has 5,143 recorded births among boys since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3988 as of the latest data, more common than 72% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #3988 among boys today
- 5,143 born since 1881
- 1990s peak decade
- 72% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Denton is currently the #3988 boys' name in America, more common than 72% of boys - 5,143 born since 1881, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3988
- among boys today
- 5,143
- born since 1881
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Denton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3988
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 72% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Denton was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
89 babies were named Denton in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Denton compares
5,143 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Denton's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Denton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,143 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 89 | 23 | 22,252 |
Denton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Denton's full recorded timeline at 1966, 57% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 43% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1994 peak of 89 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Denton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#3,988
Active since
1881
Denton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 89
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Denton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Denton's strongest decade.
670 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Denton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13
1880s
13 births
- 1890s 9
1890s
9 births
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
273 births
- 1920s
1920s
389 births
- 1930s
1930s
408 births
- 1940s
1940s
471 births
- 1950s
1950s
423 births
- 1960s
1960s
359 births
- 1970s
1970s
397 births
- 1980s
1980s
516 births
- 1990s
1990s
670 births
- 2000s
2000s
527 births
- 2010s
2010s
478 births
- 2020s 200
2020s
200 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 670 births (13% of all-time use).
How Denton 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 Denton's total volume
Denton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Denton by state
Where Denton concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 363 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 150 | 2.9% |
| #3 | California | | 123 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 95 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 30 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 27 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Kansas | | 22 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 17 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Denton's total US births 7.1%
Even split
363 of 5,143 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Denton appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Denton? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 5,143 babies named Denton. Today it holds rank #3988 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1994, with 89 births.
When was Denton most popular? ▼
Denton was most popular in the 1990s decade with 670 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Denton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Denton are Texas (363 births), Pennsylvania (150 births), California (123 births).
How long has the name Denton been used? ▼
Records for Denton go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Denton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dennis, Denis, Denver, Denny, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Denton's data
- Denton's decade-level peak was the 1990s (670 total births); usage has since declined to 200 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Dentons (363 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Denton
Nearby Names Like Denton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Denton
Dennis Boy
#708 621,000 births
Denis Boy
#1641 20,733 births
Denver Boy
#488 19,178 births
Denny Boy
#4326 15,417 births
Denzel Boy
#1026 11,738 births
Compare Denton side by side: Denton vs Dennis Denton vs Denis Denton vs Denver
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Denton
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Denton: #3988 Boys' Name - 5,143 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/denton. 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 Denton 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.