Denis

From Denys or Denis, the medieval French forms of Dionysius, this name is associated with Saint Denis, a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul and the first bishop of Paris, who was martyred by decapitation and, according to legend, picked up his severed head and walked while preaching a sermon. He is credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity and is considered the patron saint of France. The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, was brought to England by the Normans, and is now usually spelled Dennis in the English-speaking world. A notable bearer was the French philosopher Denis Diderot (1713-1784).

Denis moved from #953 to #967 for boys between 1989 and 1991. Its highest annual birth count came in 1952, with 618 births.