Name meaning & stats
Denise
Denise means “follower of Dionysus” (French origin). 372,226 US babies since 1940, peak 1961. Notable Denises are 1.4× over-represented as politicians.
What it means
“follower of Dionysus”
FrenchWell documented
In US birth records
Peak year: 1961
372,226 US babies were named Denise between 1940 and 2025.
Where Denises end up
Not enough notable Denises yet, so this uses the spelling family: Denise, Denyse.
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | 0.9× | High · 40 people |
| Politician | 1.4× | High · 35 people |
| Writer | 0.9× | High · 28 people |
| Singer | 1.0× | Medium · 21 people |
Among notable women who are politicians, the Denise family show up 1.4× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
One more thing…
Denise has a surprise career: 1.5×
Spelling family
The most common spelling: 93% of the family
- Denise 93%
- Denice 3%
- Denisse 2%
- Dennise 1%
- Denese <1%
- Denyse <1%
- Deniece <1%
- Denys <1%
- Deniese <1%
- Denyce <1%
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1961)