Denise

Denise is said to be the French feminine form of Denis, a medieval form of Dionysius, the Latin name for the Greek god of wine and celebration, who was the son of Zeus. The name ultimately comes from the Greek Dionysos from Διος (Dios) meaning ‘of Zeus’ and Νυσα (Nysa) which is the name of the mountain where rain nymphs raised Dionysius. So the etymology of Dennis ultimately means ‘Zeus of Nysa’. More importantly to the French, however, was the 3rd century Saint Denis who is now considered one of the patron saints of France. He was a missionary credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity but was ultimately beheaded for his endeavors in Paris by pagan priests. It was said that Denis picked up his severed head and walked six miles holding it as he continued to preach his sermons before dying (yah, kinda creepy, we know). A few hundred years later, a Basilica was erected to honor him at his burial spot. Additionally, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis is where nearly all of the French kings were buried between the 10th and 18th centuries. Due to Saint Denis’s importance to the French people, the name has been common there since the Middle Ages. It’s not clear when the female version Denise came into play, but we do know that it was picked up regularly by English speakers since the 1920s.