Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1993

Denzel

Meaning A male given name popularized by actor Denzel Washington Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,166 Trend ↑ Rising 21%

A male given name popularized by actor Denzel Washington

Rank 2025
#1,166
among boys · ↓140 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
177
named Denzel · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,650
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1993
869 babies
All-time total
11,779
#1,096 all-time among boys
First recorded
1906
in Social Security records

Denzel popularity over time

11,779 babies have been named Denzel since 1906, 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 11 11 1 – #1,148
1910s 17 155 172 17 +1464% #1,141
1920s 13 265 278 28 +62% #1,197
1930s – 202 202 20 -27% #1,179
1940s – 154 154 15 -24% #1,278
1950s – 123 123 12 -20% #1,970
1960s – 68 68 7 -45% #2,394
1970s – 26 26 3 -62% #4,075
1980s – 248 248 25 +854% #1,454
1990s 11 5,453 5,464 546 +2103% #311
2000s – 2,121 2,121 212 -61% #707
2010s – 1,826 1,826 183 -14% #985
2020s (to 2025) – 1,086 1,086 181 -1% #1,026

Where Denzel 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 182 0.11 outside top 500
2027 187 0.11 outside top 500
2028 190 0.11 outside top 500
2029 194 0.11 outside top 500
2030 197 0.12 outside top 500

Where Denzel is most popular

Boys named Denzel per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.107 per 1,000. Strongest in Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Denzel born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Maryland 26 0.218 +104%
New Jersey 43 0.214 +100%
Massachusetts 27 0.196 +84%
Florida 86 0.182 +70%
New York 73 0.169 +58%
Louisiana 17 0.166 +56%
North Carolina 36 0.141 +32%
Georgia 35 0.138 +29%
Virginia 26 0.137 +28%
Texas 113 0.128 +20%
Pennsylvania 34 0.128 +20%
Nebraska 5 0.115 +8%
Illinois 23 0.090 -16%
Nevada 5 0.088 -18%
Michigan 15 0.073 -31%
California 64 0.070 -34%
Ohio 18 0.068 -36%
Minnesota 6 0.049 -54%
Colorado 6 0.046 -56%
Indiana 6 0.037 -65%
Missouri 5 0.036 -66%
Tennessee 6 0.033 -69%
Arizona 5 0.031 -71%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Denzel

Denzel is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,166 in 2025 with 177 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1906, 11,779 American babies have been named Denzel. Its peak came in 1993, when 869 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 Denzel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Denzel?

The median living Denzel is about 27 years old; half are between 14 and 32. An estimated 11 thousand people named Denzel are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Denzel year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 177 #1,166
2024 – – 217 #1,026
2023 – – 196 #1,095
2022 – – 198 #1,095
2021 – – 135 #1,368
2020 – – 163 #1,182
2019 – – 165 #1,174
2018 – – 181 #1,090
2017 – – 194 #1,038
2016 – – 176 #1,111
2015 – – 189 #1,051
2014 – – 183 #1,068
2013 – – 203 #985
2012 – – 200 #993
2011 – – 155 #1,156
2010 – – 180 #1,072
2009 – – 202 #982
2008 – – 213 #947
2007 – – 187 #1,017
2006 – – 196 #950
2005 – – 201 #897
2004 – – 250 #747
2003 – – 209 #834
2002 – – 253 #707
2001 – – 196 #830
2000 – – 214 #776
1995 – – 547 #416
1990 6 #11,774 496 #444
1985 – – 16 #2,980
1980 – – 5 #6,489
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 6 #4,364
1965 – – 12 #2,394
1960 – – 7 #3,420
1955 – – 15 #2,071
1950 – – 14 #2,047
1945 – – 8 #2,611
1940 – – 8 #2,712
1935 – – 22 #1,460
1930 – – 28 #1,372
1925 – – 24 #1,544
1920 – – 23 #1,605
1915 – – 23 #1,425
1910 – – 6 #1,463
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Denzel

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

  1. 1 Denzel Washington Denzel Washington American actor (born 1954) Contemporary
  2. 2 Denzel Dumfries Denzel Dumfries Dutch footballer (born 1996) Contemporary
  3. 3 Denzel Curry Denzel Curry American rapper (born 1995) Contemporary
  4. 4 Denzel Valentine Denzel Valentine American basketball player (born 1993) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Denzel?

The median living Denzel is about 27 years old. Half of all living Denzels are between 14 and 32 years old.

How many people named Denzel are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Denzel are alive in the United States, based on 11,779 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Denzel mean?

A male given name popularized by actor Denzel Washington

How popular is the name Denzel in 2025?

Denzel ranked #1,166 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 177 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Denzel?

11,779 babies have been named Denzel in the United States since 1906, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Denzel most popular?

Denzel peaked in 1993, when 869 newborns received the name.

Is Denzel a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Denzel rising or falling?

Denzel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Denzel become more popular?

Denzel is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 197 boys named Denzel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Denzel?

Well-known people named Denzel include Denzel Washington (actor), Denzel Dumfries (soccer player), Denzel Curry (singer).

Names like Denzel

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

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