NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Denny

Originally derived from the Medieval diminutive of the name Dennis.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Denny is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Denny popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #747, with 46 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 55 births.

This profile covers 788 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 84% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 810 living people in the UK are called Denny. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Denny ranked #747 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 46 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 55 boys were registered as Denny.
  • Denny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 810 living people in the UK are estimated to have Denny as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 97.4% of Denny registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#747

2024

Births in 2024

46

Latest year

Peak year

2023

55 births

Estimated living

810

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Denny

In England and Wales birth records, Denny has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 97.4% of registrations are for boys and 2.6% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

97% boys
Boys788 (97.4%)Girls21 (2.6%)

Denny registered for boys

  • Ranked #747 in 2024
  • 46 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2023 (55 births)

Denny registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,709 in 2023
  • 4 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2010 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Denny mean?

The name Denny has its origins in the Celtic language, deriving from the Gaelic word "denbh," which means "brave" or "bold." It is thought to have first emerged in the early medieval period, around the 5th or 6th century, among the Gaelic-speaking populations of Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Wales.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Denny can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. In these annals, there is mention of a man named Denbh mac Conchobhair, who lived in the 12th century and was a member of the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Connacht.

Throughout history, the name Denny has been borne by a number of notable individuals. One of the most famous was Dennis the Carthusian (c. 1370-1471), a Flemish monk and theologian who played a significant role in the Catholic Church's response to the Hussite movement in Bohemia.

Another well-known figure was Denny Laine (born 1944), an English singer-songwriter and guitarist who was a founding member of the rock bands The Moody Blues and Wings, the latter of which he co-founded with Paul McCartney.

In the realm of sports, Denny McLain (born 1944) was an American baseball player who won the Cy Young Award in 1968 and was a key member of the Detroit Tigers' World Series championship team that same year.

The name Denny has also been associated with literary figures, such as Denny Bradbury (1923-2016), an American poet and educator who served as the Poet Laureate of Missouri from 1997 to 2003.

Finally, Denny Hamlin (born 1980) is a contemporary NASCAR driver who has won multiple races in the Cup Series and is considered one of the sport's top competitors.

While the name Denny has remained in use throughout the centuries, its popularity has ebbed and flowed over time, reflecting the changing cultural and linguistic landscapes of the regions where it originated and was adopted.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Denny over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Denny in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Denny, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 46 births in 2024, compared with 55 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
015304459199620102024

Decades

Denny by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Denny was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #703 244 5
2010s #923 352 10
2000s #1272 158 10
1990s #1423 34 4

Geography

Where Denny is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Denny. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Denny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Denny in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

7 years of NRS records, 27 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Denny

  • Denny Johnstone

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (born 1995)

    1995-

  • Denny Ingram

    association football player

    English association football player (born 1976)

    1976-

  • Denny Mundee

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1968)

    1968-

  • Denny Vitty

    politician

    Northern Irish politician

    1949-

  • Denny Termer

    pianist

    British pianist

    1925-2011

  • Denny Wright

    jazz guitarist; jazz musician

    English jazz guitarist (1924-1992)

    1924-1992

  • Denny Willis

    comedian; television actor; stage actor

    Scottish comedian

    1920-1995

Related

Names similar to Denny

FAQ

Denny: questions and answers

How popular is the name Denny in the UK right now?

In 2024, Denny was ranked #747 for boys in England and Wales, with 46 births registered.

When was Denny most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 55 babies registered as Denny in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Denny?

Originally derived from the Medieval diminutive of the name Dennis.

How many people are called Denny in the UK?

A total of 788 babies have been registered as Denny across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 27 more in Scotland.

Where is Denny most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Denny ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #728 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.