Dene
The Dene people are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" has two uses:
Meaning & Origin of Dene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Dene people are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" has two uses:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Dene
As a girl name
Dene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1921, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 19 Denes were born — ranking #2,833 that year. As of 2026, Dene ranks #8,025 for girls with 12 births, with steady use. In total, more than 572 Denes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Dene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 10 Denes were born — ranking #2,755 that year. As of 2026, Dene ranks #7,638 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 223 Denes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Dene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dene
What does the name Dene mean?
How popular is Dene in 2026?
When was Dene most popular?
In which U.S. states is Dene most popular?
Is Dene a unisex name?
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About the name Dene
Dene is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 572 births in the dataset. Dene's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #2,833. Use the chart and map above to compare Dene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1965 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.