Dennis

Name list
Dennis
Pronunciation/ˈdɛn.ɪs/
GenderMale
Language(s)Greek, Latin, English, Danish, Swedish
Name daySweden: August 7
Origin
MeaningDionysus
Region of originGreece
Other names
Alternative spellingDenis, Dennys
Variant form(s)Denise (Female)
Nickname(s)Denny
Related namesDenis, Dinis,Diniz, Sidney

Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.

The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is sometimes said to be derived from the Greek Dios (Διός, "of Zeus") and Nysos or Nysa (Νῦσα), where the young god was raised. Dionysus (or Dionysos; also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficent influences. He is viewed as the promoter of civilization, a lawgiver, and a lover of peace—as well as the patron deity of both agriculture and the theatre.

Dionysus is a god of mystery religious rites, such as those practised in honour of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis near Athens. In the Thracian mysteries, he wears the "bassaris" or fox-skin, symbolizing new life. (See also Maenads.)

A mediaeval Latinised form of the Anglo-Norman surname Le Denys was Dacus, which correctly meant Dacian, but when the Vikings were about was often used to mean "Danish" or "The Dane". The name became modernised as Denys, then later as Dennis.

Alternative forms and spellings of the name include Denis, Denys, Dennys, Denish, Deon, Deonne, Deonte, and Dion, Dionice. Diminutive forms include Den, Dennoh, Deno, Denny, Deny and Deen.

The name Sydenie (alternate spellings: Sydney or Sidney) may derive from a village in Normandy called Saint-Denis.[citation needed] A medieval diminutive was Dye, from which the names Dyson and Tyson are derived.[citation needed]

Dennis is a very popular English, Irish and Danish name, common throughout the English-speaking world, and a very popular French name, common throughout the Francophone world. It is also common as a German, Italian, Dutch, Croatian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian, Brazilian, Bosnian, and Albanian name.

Dionizy is the Polish version of the name, while Dionigi and Dionisio are the Italian versions of the name. The Irish name Donnchadh is sometimes anglicised as Denis, but has a different origin and is in fact related to the names Duncan and Donagh. Feminine versions of the name include: Denise, Denisa, Deni, Denice, Deniece, Dione, and Dionne.

Variants

People with the given name Dennis

Common combinations with given name Dennis

These links lead to disambiguation pages.
  • Dennis Allen
  • Dennis Anderson
  • Dennis Avery
  • Dennis Bailey
  • Dennis Baker
  • Dennis Bell
  • Dennis Bennett
  • Dennis Blair
  • Dennis Boles
  • Dennis Boyd
  • Dennis Brown
  • Dennis Brown
  • Dennis Donovan
  • Dennis Dougherty
  • Dennis Moore
  • Dennis Murphy
  • Dennis Murray
  • Dennis Nelson
  • Dennis O'Neill
  • Dennis Olsen
  • Dennis Olson
  • Dennis Peters
  • Dennis Phillips
  • Dennis Rasmussen
  • Dennis Richardson
  • Dennis Rivera
  • Dennis Roberts
  • Dennis Robertson
  • Dennis Schmidt
  • Dennis Scott
  • Dennis Smith
  • Dennis Stewart
  • Dennis Sullivan
  • Dennis Thompson
  • Dennis Walker
  • Dennis Ward
  • Dennis Waterman
  • Dennis White
  • Dennis Williams
  • Dennis Young

A-E

F-K

L-R

S-Z

Fictional characters

People with the surname Dennis

A-L

M-Z

  • Matt Dennis (1914–2002), American singer and bandleader
  • Monika Larsen Dennis (born 1963), Swedish sculptor, filmmaker
  • Morgan Dennis (1892–1960), American illustrator and author
  • N. Dennis (1929–2013), Indian politician
  • Nick Dennis (1904–1980), American actor
  • Nigel Dennis (1912–1989), English writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor
  • Patrick Dennis (1921–1976), American author
  • Peter Dennis (disambiguation), multiple people
  • RayJ Dennis (born 2001), American basketball player
  • Richard Dennis (born 1949), American commodities trader
  • Richard William George Dennis (1910–2003), British mycologist
  • Robert J. Dennis (fl. 1980s–2020s), American businessman, chairman and CEO of Genesco
  • Ron Dennis (born 1947), English former executive chairman of McLaren Automotive
  • Roy L. Dennis (1961–1978), American boy afflicted with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia
  • Samuel Dennis (academic) (fl. 1770s–1790s), English academic administrator
  • Samuel Dennis (Australian politician) (1870–1945), Australian politician
  • Samuel K. Dennis (died 1892), American politician
  • Samuel K. Dennis Jr. (1874–1953), American politician and judge
  • Sandy Dennis (1937–1992), American theater and film actress
  • Shaun Dennis (born 1969), Scottish footballer
  • Simon Dennis (disambiguation), multiple people
  • SirVocea Dennis (born 2000), American football player
  • Tom Dennis (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Wesley Dennis (born 1963), American country music artist
  • Weston Dennis (fl. 2010s–2020s), also known as Westballz, American Super Smash Bros. Melee player
  • William Dennis (disambiguation)
  • Willie Dennis (1926–1965), American jazz trombonist
  • Willye Dennis (1926–2012), American librarian and civil rights activist

See also

  • Denis (disambiguation)
  • Denise (given name)
  • Dionysus

External links

Name list
This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.