Denise is a feminine given name of Latin origin, derived from the male name Dennis or Denis, which means "follower of Dionysius." Dionysius was the god of wine and merriment in ancient Greek mythology.
The name Denise first appeared as a female given name in the late 19th century. It gained popularity during the mid-20th century, particularly in France and English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Today, it is considered a classic yet timeless name, often associated with elegance and sophistication.
Some notable people who bear the name Denise include Canadian actress Denise Pelley, French singer and songwriter Denise Pelletier, and American poet Denise Levertov.
Based on the provided statistics, we can observe several trends regarding the birth rate of girls named Denice in the United States over the years.
From the early 1920s to the late 1970s, there was a significant increase in the number of newborn girls named Denice each year. Starting with only 6 births in 1921, the annual birth rate peaked at 450 births in 1957 before gradually decreasing.
The most popular years for naming daughters Denice were from 1950 to 1968, during which there were consistently over 250 births per year. The highest point was reached in 1957 with 450 births.
However, after the late 1970s, the birth rate of girls named Denice started to decline dramatically, dropping below 100 births per year from the early 1980s onwards. This downward trend continued throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s.
By the late 2000s and early 2010s, the birth rate of girls named Denice had decreased significantly to less than 50 births per year on average. In recent years, from 2015 onwards, there have been only a handful of newborn girls named Denice each year, with a total of 9 births in both 2016 and 2017.
In conclusion, while the name Denice was quite popular during the mid-20th century, its popularity has significantly declined in recent decades. Despite this decline, there have still been a total of 10,642 newborn girls named Denice in the United States since 1921.