Denis

French from Greek

"god of Nysa"

Denis Origin and Meaning

The name Denis is a boy's name of French origin meaning "god of Nysa".

While Dennis may be more familiar to English speakers, Denis, or sometimes Denys, were the original medieval French forms of the name. Ultimately derived from Dionysius, the Greek god of wine and debauchery, it is a saint's name, popular in France during the Middle Ages, and during the 60s.

Denis is memorably borne by Saint Denis, a 3rd century saint whose rather gory end is credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity. Having been decapitated, he is said to have picked up his head, and begun walking and preaching. Legend or not, he is the patron saint of France.

While the Dennis spelling has largely been more popular in English speaking countries (and beyond), Denis currently ranks just slightly higher in England and Wales, with its concise spelling appealing perhaps, alongside shorter favorites like Luca, Leo, and Rory.

An important point to note is the different pronunciations of this spelling. In French, it would be DU-NEE, while in English it would said as DEHN-is. The German and Czech pronunciation, DEH-nis, is slightly different again, while in Russia, it would be di-NEES.

Denis Rank in US Top 1000

# 966 in the US

Popularity of the name Denis

• 639 Unique 2024
• 435 England 2024
• 151 Poland 2020
• 92 Estonia 2024

Famous People Named Denis

• Denis King of Portugal
• Denis Leary American actor
• Denis Forest Canadian actor
• Denis O'Hare American actor
• Denis Suárez Spanish footballer
• Denis Diderot Enlightenment philosopher
• Denis Gargaud Chanut French slalom canoer
• Denis Igoryevich Yuskov Russian speed skater
• Denis Thomalla German professional footballer
• Denis Villeneuve French,Canadian film director and writer

The name Denis in Pop Culture

• Denis song by Blondie