Denton is an English name of Old English origin, derived from the word 'den', meaning 'valley'. It was initially used as a surname for someone who lived in or owned land in such a valley. Today, Denton is not very common, ranked 4,573rd among boys' names in the U.S. in 2019. Despite its rarity, it has been carried by notable figures like Union Army soldier Thomas R. Denton and characters in works by Mark Twain and Kyle Chandler's film 'The Spectacular Now'.