Denise

Did you know?

A few things about Denise you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Denise

Denise Richards

American actress

Choose Denise and your child shares a first name with Denise Richards, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Denise, like who?” Denise Richards's Wikipedia article is available in 60 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Denise Richards on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: John Manard, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 13,072 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Denise, 123 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Denise would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDenise first shows up in US birth records in 1882, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 143 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1956, when it ranked #23. Today it's #1,673, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowDenise was 6.9× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,886 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 13,072.
• 🍂TrendDenise has slipped 797 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,673. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDenise is most popular in California, where it ranks #997. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningIn French, Denise means “of Dionysus”. Our records link it to French and Greek roots.

About the name Denise

Denise is a girl name of French and Greek origin meaning “of Dionysus”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-ise”. US birth records list Denise for girls from 1882 to 2025, in 128 of those 144 years. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked #23 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,673, with 123 babies.

Origin:French namesGreek names