Wikipedia:
Dennis or Denis is either the first or last name of a male derived from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius meaning the Thracian god of wine, which is ultimately derived from the Greek Dios (Διός, "of Zeus") combined with Nysos or Nysa (Νυσα), where the young god was raised.. Dionysus (or Dionysos; also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficent influences. He is viewed as the promoter of civilization, a lawgiver, and lover of peace — as well as the patron deity of both agriculture and the theater.
Dionysus is a god of mystery religious rites, such as those practiced in honor of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis near Athens. In the Thracian mysteries, he wears the "bassaris" or fox-skin, symbolizing new life. (See also Maenads)
The mediaeval Latinised form of the Anglo-Norman surname Le Denys was Dacus, the adjectival form of Dacia, meaning "Danish" or "The Dane". The name became modernised as Denys, then later as Dennis.
Alternative forms and spellings of the name include Denis, Denys, Denish, Deon, Deonne, Deonte, and Dion, Dionice. Diminutive forms include Den, Dennoh, Deno and Denny. The name Sydenie (alternate spellings: Sydney or Sidney) may derive from a village in Normandy called Saint-Denis, although evidence is slim, and results in the diminutive forms Syd and Sid. A medieval diminutive was Dye, from which the names Dyson and Tyson are derived.
Dennis is a very popular English and Irish name, common throughout the English-speaking world.
Denis is a very popular French name, common throughout the Francophone world, but is also a common English, Irish, German, Italian, Dutch, Croatian, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian and Bosnian name.
Dionizy is the Polish version of the name. The Irish name Donnchadh may be anglicised as Denis, but has a different origin. Dionigi or Dionisio are Italian versions of the name, although Denis is quite common in Italy.
Feminine versions of the name include: Denise, Denisa, Deni, Denice, Deniece, Dione, and Dionne.
Variants
Den EnglishDénes HungarianDenis Czech, English, French, German, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, SloveneDeniss LatvianDennis Dutch, English, GermanDenny EnglishDenys UkrainianDinis PortugueseDiniz PortugueseDionisie RomanianDionísio PortugueseDionisio Italian, SpanishDionysios GreekDionýz SlovakTõnis Estonian
People with the given name Dennis
Dennis Alexio, American kickboxerDennis Aogo, German football playerDennis Brain, English virtuoso horn playerDennis Bergkamp, Dutch football player, former Arsenal FC Player, now retiredDennis Blake, Jamaican track and field athleteDennis Brinkmann, German football playerDennis Brunod, Italian ski mountaineer and skyrunnerDennis Cagara, Danish football playerDennis Chambers, American drummerDennis Cole, American actorDennis Coles, American rapperDennis Danell, Social Distortion guitaristDennis Diekmeier, German football playerDennis Eckersley, American baseball playerDennis Eilhoff, German football goalkeeperDennis Endras, German ice hockey goaltenderDennis Erickson, American football head coachDennis Farina, American character actorDennis Fentie, Canadian politicianDennis Ferrera, Honduran football playerDennis Franz, American actorDennis Gabor, Hungarian electrical engineer and inventorDennis Gansel, German film directorDennis Garcia, American writerDennis Gentenaar, Dutch football goalkeeperDennis González, American jazz musician, poet and visual artistDennis Green, American football head coachDennis Grote, German football playerDennis Hastert, American politicianDennis Hayden, American actorDennis Haysbert, American actorDennis Hopper, American actor, filmmaker and artistDennis Horstmann, German DJ and dance music artistDennis Howell, The Best Jail Registrar EverDennis_James_(disambiguation), several peopleDennis Johnson, American basketball playerDennis Kruppke, German football playerDennis Kucinich, American politicianDennis Law (disambiguation), multiple peopleDennis Lillee, Australian cricketerDennis Lisk, German rapperDennis Lynds, American authorDennis Lyxzén, Swedish musicianDennis Miller, American comedian and talk show hostDennis Nielsen, American colonel and politicianDennis Nilsen, Scottish serial killerDennis Oli, English football playerDennis Prager, American radio hostDennis Price, English actorDennis Quaid, American actorDennis Rader, American serial killerDennis Ritchie, American computer scientistDennis Rodman, American basketball playerDennis Rommedahl, Danish football playerDennis Schulp, Dutch football playerDennis Seidenberg, German ice hockey playerDennis Smith (disambiguation), several peopleDennis Souza, Brazilian football playerDennis Stewart (judoka), British judokaDennis Taylor, Northern Irish snooker playerDennis Tito, American engineer, multimillionaire and space touristDennis van der Geest, Dutch judokaDennis Wheatley, English authorDennis Wilson, American musicianDennis Wise, English football player and manager Fictional
Dennis Creevey, minor character from Harry PotterDennis Finch, main character from Just Shoot MeDennis Nedry, character from Jurassic ParkDennis Reynolds, main character from It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaDennis the Hitman, minor character from The SpongeBob SquarePants MovieDennis the Locomotive, minor character from Thomas and FriendsDennis the Peasant, minor character from Monty Python and the Holy GrailDennis the Menace in The Beano comic, aka Dennis MitchellDennis from Kid vs. KatDennis duffy a minor character from "30 Rock
People with the surname Dennis
Allan Dennis, American founder and director of the Midwest Young Artists youth orchestra programBill Dennis, American NASCAR driverC. J. Dennis, Australian poetCarl Dennis, American poet and educatorCarolyn Dennis, American singer and actorCathy Dennis, English singer-songwriter, record producer and actressCecil Dennis, Liberian political figure who served as Minister of Foreign AffairsCheri Dennis, American singerClare Dennis, Australian breaststroke swimmerDavid W. Dennis, American politicianDiana Dennis, American female bodybuilderElla Dennis, born 1991, Elephant vasectomist and Whale-feces researcherElias Smith Dennis, American lawyer, politician and soldierEugene Dennis, American politician and long-time leader of the Communist Party USAFelix Dennis, English magazine publisher and philanthropistFranklyn Dennis, Canadian cricketerGabriel Lafayette Dennis, Liberian politicianGeoffrey W. Dennis, American rabbi and authorGeorge Dennis (disambiguation), several peopleHershel Dennis, American football running backHugh Dennis, English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artistJack Dennis, American electrical engineer and computer scientistJohn Dennis (disambiguation), several peopleKristian Dennis, English football playerLawrence Dennis, American diplomat, consultant and authorLes Dennis, English comedian, celebrity, television presenter and actorMatt Dennis, American singer, pianist, bandleader, arranger, and writer of musicMorgan Dennis, American illustrator and authorNeleh Dennis, American runner-up in Survivor: MarquesasNick Dennis, American actorNigel Dennis, English writer, critic, playwright and magazine editorPatrick Dennis, American authorRichard Dennis, American commodities traderRon Dennis, English executive chairman of McLaren AutomotiveRoy L. Dennis, American boy afflicted with craniodiaphyseal dysplasiaR.W.G. Dennis, British mycologistSandy Dennis, American theater and film actressShaun Dennis, Scottish football player and assistant managerSimon Dennis, English rowerTom Dennis, English snooker and billiards playerWesley Dennis, American English Teacher, born in TexasWillie Dennis, American jazz trombonistWillye Dennis, American librarian, civil rights activist and former Florida state legislator
