How Many People Are Named Dennis?
An estimated 441,864 people in the United States have the first name Dennis. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #99 overall. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 64 years old, and Dennis peaked in popularity in 1952 with 24,605 births that year. It has a similar number of bearers to Maria (438,999).
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Dennis as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Dennis paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Dennis is overwhelmingly male, 2,691 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Dennis has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
441,864
About 1 in 776 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.6% confidence
Average Age
64
years old
Peak Year
1952
24,605 births
Total Registered
623,306
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Dennis
Dennis is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 623,306 total births registered, 99.6% were male.
Dennis as a male name
Ranked #708 in 2024
376 male births in 2024
Peak: 1952 (24,552 births)
Dennis as a female name
Ranked #15,839 in 2024
5 female births in 2024
Peak: 1947 (72 births)
Dennis: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Dennis span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 204,784 babies were registered. Dennis has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Dennis by Decade
How has Dennis tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,107 | 1,107 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 919 | 919 | 0 | |
| 1900s | 988 | 988 | 0 | |
| 1910s | 4,203 | 4,166 | 37 | |
| 1920s | 8,241 | 8,145 | 96 | |
| 1930s | 26,507 | 26,366 | 141 | |
| 1940s | 162,573 | 162,113 | 460 | |
| 1950s | 204,784 | 204,267 | 517 | |
| 1960s | 95,404 | 94,983 | 421 | |
| 1970s | 50,913 | 50,553 | 360 | |
| 1980s | 30,715 | 30,466 | 249 | |
| 1990s | 18,269 | 18,100 | 169 | |
| 2000s | 10,619 | 10,443 | 176 | |
| 2010s | 6,016 | 5,975 | 41 | |
| 2020s | 2,048 | 2,024 | 24 | |
Dennis by State
Birth registrations for Dennis span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Alaska, Delaware, Vermont. On average, about 12,079 Denniss were registered per state.
Dennis + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Dennis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Dennis
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
Dennis: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dennis?
We estimate approximately 441,864 people named Dennis are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 776 Americans share this first name.
Is Dennis a common name?
Dennis is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 623,306 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Dennis most popular?
Dennis reached peak popularity in 1952, when 24,605 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Dennis is approximately 64 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Dennis a male name?
Dennis is predominantly male. 99.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Dennis Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Dennis Smith, Dennis Johnson, Dennis Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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