Entry № 0629 · French, Greek origin

Denise Denise — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ deh-NEES /
Gender
Girl
Origin
French, Greek
Meaning
"Follower of Dionysus (Denise Richards; Denise Huxtable)"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 750
First recorded
Medieval (French)

A name that means "follower of dionysus (denise richards; denise huxtable)".

Denise is the French feminine of Dennis — from the Greek *Dionysios* ("follower of Dionysus," the god of wine and ecstasy). **A top-25 US baby name from 1959 to 1969, peaking at #24 in 1963**. **Denise Huxtable** — Lisa Bonet's character on NBC's *The Cosby Show* (1984-1992) and her spin-off *A Different World* (1987-1988) — among the most-influential Black college-going teen characters in US television; her style is credited as helping launch the boho-academic aesthetic of the late 1980s. **Denise Richards (born 1971)** — American actress; *Wild Things* (1998), *Starship Troopers* (1997); Bond girl Dr. Christmas Jones in *The World Is Not Enough* (1999); *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* (2019-2020). **Denise Crosby (born 1957)** — Lieutenant Tasha Yar on *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987-1988); granddaughter of Bing Crosby; *Pet Sematary* (1989). **Denise Levertov (1923-1997)** — British American poet; Lannan Literary Award; Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. **Denise Faye** — choreographer; *Chicago* (2002 film). **Denise Scott Brown (born 1931)** — Zambian American architect and urban planner — one half of the husband-wife firm Venturi Scott Brown; the 2016 AIA Gold Medal was the first time the award was given to a husband-wife duo.

Featured throughout 1960s-2000s American culture.

Follower of Dionysus. Denise Huxtable's boho-academic style on The Cosby Show + Denise Scott Brown architect.

The name in its native script.

Denise
Transliteration
Denise
Pronunciation
/ dəˈniːs /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Denise stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 750 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 24 in 1963
Babies named Denise · last year
360 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1932
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · #24 NOW · #750

Denises before her.

Real people
Denise Richards
American actress.
born 1971
Denise Crosby
American actress (Star Trek).
born 1957
Denise Levertov
British-American poet.
1923 – 1997
Denise Scott Brown
Zambian-American architect.
born 1931
In fiction
Denise Huxtable
The Cosby Show.
1984

Names connected to Denise.

The number behind Denise.

8

The Authority

Denise reduces to eight — the number of Cosby Show.

Why families chose this name.

"Huxtable's ecstasy. Six letters. Denise."
Catherine · Mother of one · Brooklyn