Denis is a distinctive boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #924 in 1998 with 16 recorded births. This places Denis in the top 24% of ranked UK boys' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Uncommon. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 193 births ranking #270. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 20.0%. In 1998, approximately 1 in every 19,404 boys born was named Denis. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Denis is a continental form of Dennis and ultimately comes from a Greek name meaning "devoted to Dionysus". It feels traditional and slightly more European in flavour than Dennis.
The name spread through Christian Europe partly because of Saint Denis, the patron saint of France. That saintly connection helped separate it in feeling from its older pagan root.