Dennis

Dennis is a masculine given name and also a surname in English-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Dionysius, which entered English through Old French Denis and Medieval Latin Denisus, ultimately from the Greek Dionysios, meaning “follower of Dionysus.” The name was popularized in Western Europe by Saint Denis (Saint Denis of Paris), and its usage spread beyond France. English spellings include Dennis and Dennys, while the French form is Denis. The variant Denis is common in several languages, including French and Dutch.

As a surname, Dennis often originated from the given name or from patronymic practice, and it may appear in various Anglophone lineages. In modern times, Dennis remains a common given name in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland, though its popularity has varied across decades. A common nickname is Denny.

Notable people with the given name include Dennis Hopper, an American actor and filmmaker; Dennis Rodman, an American basketball player; Dennis Quaid, an American actor; Dennis Ritchie, an American computer scientist who co-created the C programming language and Unix; Dennis Lehane, an American writer; Dennis Bergkamp, a Dutch footballer; and Dennis Kucinich, an American politician. The surname appears in various fields as well.

In fiction and popular culture, Dennis the Menace is a well-known character from a long-running comic strip and its adaptations, with the name appearing in other works as well. The name Dennis has a broad cultural presence and continues to be used in many countries, often with local spellings and nicknames.