Dennis means follower of Dionysus — from the Greek, the god of wine, ecstasy, and theatre. Dennis the Menace IS the most iconic mischief-maker. Dennis Rodman IS the most colourful athlete ever. Two syllables of Dionysus-wine-god, the most iconic mischief-maker, and the most colourful athlete EVER.
Dionysus IS the god of wine, ecstasy, AND theatre.
Dennis the Menace IS the most iconic mischief.
Dennis Rodman IS the most colourful athlete ever.
Two syllables with a friendly, classic sound: DEN-iss.
The meaning Dionysus carries maximum revelry.
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The vibe of Dennis
follower of DionysusGreekwineecstasytheatreDennis the MenacemischiefRodmancolourful
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Origin & history of Dennis
Greek Dionysus (god of wine/theatre)→Dennis
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French / Greek roots
Dennis means follower of Dionysus — god of wine and theatre. Dennis the Menace IS iconic. Rodman IS the most colourful athlete.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Greek; Dennis the Menace (1951); Rodman (born 1961).
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Today
Dennis remains a beloved choice, ranking #600 in the US. 623,306 babies have been named Dennis since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Dennis?
1952peak year
Dennis hit its high-water mark in 1952, when it became one of the country's most popular names — #18 nationally, with 24,552 babies given the name that year. It had been quietly building for over half a century before that, first appearing in records in 1880. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #600 today, averaging about 476 new babies per year. Dennis has been declining in recent years. Across all years on record, approximately 623,306 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Dennis's Life Path 3 is the communicator's number — Dionysian communication. People named Dennis tend to be friendly, mischievous, and gifted at being the Menace AND the most colourful.
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