Denilson

Meaning & origin

Denilson is a patronymic name meaning "son of Deni," historically a surname before its adoption as a given name. In the United States, it first appeared on the Social Security Administration's records in 1997, reflecting a broader trend of surnames becoming first names. Its peak year was 2002, when it ranked 5,208 and was given to roughly 1 in 94,893 newborns. After some fluctuation, Denilson has been rising in usage since 2016, though it remains very rare and is not associated with any particular U.S. state. The name carries a modern, multicultural feel, influenced by Brazilian footballer Denílson de Oliveira Araújo, which helped popularize it in Portuguese-speaking communities.

Denilson is a patronymic surname-turned-first-name, meaning "son of Deni" or "son of Denil" (a medieval short form of Dennis). The name gained traction as a given name in the English-speaking world and was further popularized in Brazil and Portugal, likely influenced by the Brazilian footballer Denílson (born 1977). Its modern usage as a first name, recorded in the United States since only 1997, reflects a pattern of adopting surnames as forenames.