Denis is a unisex given name of Latin origin, derived from the Roman family name Denius or Dionysius. It means "follower of Dionysus" and was initially used as a byname for those who followed the cult of Bacchus, the god of wine and fertility. The name has been widely used throughout history, with notable figures such as Denis the Areopagite, a convert to Christianity in the 1st century AD, and Saint Denis, the patron saint of France who was martyred in the 3rd century AD. Today, Denis remains popular as both a male and female name around the world.
The name Denis experienced varied popularity over the years, with a notable increase in recent decades. From 1938 to 1986, the number of annual births fluctuated between 5 and 16, with peaks occurring during the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, starting from 1987, there was a significant increase in popularity, reaching a peak of 34 births in 2008. The name has remained relatively popular since then, with an average of around 15 births per year between 1992 and 2014, and a total of 859 births recorded from 1938 to 2022.