Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1994

Denton

Meaning valley, den Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,529 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

From Old English denu (“valley, den”) + tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

Rank 2025
#3,529
among boys · ↑480 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Denton · +19% vs 2024
How common
1 in 53,377
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1994
89 babies
All-time total
5,143
#1,752 all-time among boys
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Denton popularity over time

5,143 babies have been named Denton since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1897Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 13 1 – #724
1890s 9 1 -31% #739
1900s 10 1 +11% #896
1910s 273 27 +2630% #1,005
1920s 389 39 +42% #1,027
1930s 408 41 +5% #891
1940s 471 47 +15% #797
1950s 423 42 -10% #920
1960s 359 36 -15% #1,128
1970s 397 40 +11% #1,114
1980s 516 52 +30% #1,229
1990s 670 67 +30% #1,220
2000s 527 53 -21% #1,656
2010s 478 48 -9% #2,291
2020s (to 2025) 200 33 -30% #3,033

Where Denton is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 32 0.02 outside top 500
2027 31 0.02 outside top 500
2028 31 0.02 outside top 500
2029 31 0.02 outside top 500
2030 30 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Denton

Denton is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,529 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 5,143 American babies have been named Denton. Its peak came in 1994, when 89 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Denton stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Denton?

The median living Denton is about 35 years old; half are between 20 and 56. An estimated 3,600 people named Denton are alive in the United States today.

median 35 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Denton year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 32 #3,529
2024 27 #4,009
2023 38 #3,188
2022 39 #3,113
2021 26 #4,041
2020 38 #3,033
2019 39 #3,065
2018 35 #3,258
2017 55 #2,355
2016 42 #2,846
2015 52 #2,438
2014 48 #2,550
2013 56 #2,291
2012 53 #2,385
2011 53 #2,383
2010 45 #2,695
2009 47 #2,628
2008 48 #2,597
2007 46 #2,657
2006 67 #1,995
2005 48 #2,405
2004 49 #2,320
2003 37 #2,685
2002 54 #2,026
2001 61 #1,824
2000 70 #1,656
1995 84 #1,278
1990 60 #1,457
1985 53 #1,321
1980 45 #1,415
1975 35 #1,516
1970 42 #1,281
1965 32 #1,364
1960 41 #1,232
1955 44 #1,115
1950 56 #920
1945 50 #903
1940 33 #1,164
1935 47 #925
1930 42 #1,072
1925 41 #1,092
1920 42 #1,095
1915 34 #1,107
1910 9 #1,137
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Denton

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Denton Cooley Denton Cooley American heart and cardiothoracic surgeon (1920–2016) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Denton, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Denton?

The median living Denton is about 35 years old. Half of all living Dentons are between 20 and 56 years old.

How many people named Denton are alive today?

An estimated 3,600 people named Denton are alive in the United States, based on 5,143 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Denton mean?

From Old English denu (“valley, den”) + tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

How popular is the name Denton in 2025?

Denton ranked #3,529 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Denton?

5,143 babies have been named Denton in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Denton most popular?

Denton peaked in 1994, when 89 newborns received the name.

Is Denton a boy or girl name?

Denton is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Denton rising or falling?

Denton is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Denton become more popular?

Denton looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 30 boys named Denton in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Denton?

Well-known people named Denton include Denton Cooley (physician).

Names like Denton

Names that sound and feel close to Denton: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Denton with similar names → More names starting with D →