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Denzel

Quick answerDenzel derives from the Cornish place name Denzell, meaning "fort" or "stronghold" (from Cornish *den* meaning "fort" and *sell* meaning "willow").

English (Modern) · Boy · 2 syllables

D
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#1,166
TrendStable
Peak year1993
Syllables2
OriginEnglish (Modern)
LanguageEnglish (Modern)
CultureEnglish (Modern)
Letters6
Numerology3 Chaldean 11
Global rank#172

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Denzel

Denzel derives from the Cornish place name Denzell, meaning "fort" or "stronghold" (from Cornish *den* meaning "fort" and *sell* meaning "willow").

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Denzel derives from the Cornish place name Denzell, meaning "fort" or "stronghold" (from Cornish *den* meaning "fort" and *sell* meaning "willow"). The name is primarily used in English-speaking cultures, particularly among African American communities in the United States, with increased popularity following actor Denzel Washington's prominence in the late 20th century.

Denzel currently ranks #1,166 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1993.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Danijal
Boy Hebrew

"Danijal means "God is my judge" and derives from the Hebrew name Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל), composed of "din" (judgment) and "el"…"

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Danijel
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"Danijel means "God is my judge" and derives from the Hebrew name Daniel (דָּנִיאֵל), composed of "din" (judgment) and "el"…"

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Danijela
Girl Hebrew

"Danijela means "God is my judge," derived from the Hebrew name Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל)."

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"The given name 'Dangelo' means "angel" or "messenger of God," derived from the Italian and Spanish word *angelo* (angel), itself…"

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Deangelo
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"The name 'Deangelo' is a modern American coinage meaning "of the angels" or "from the angels," combining the Italian/Spanish preposition…"

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Donzilia
Girl Latin

"Donzilia is derived from the Latin "domicilium," meaning dwelling or residence, with the suffix "-ilia" creating a diminutive or feminine…"

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Densil
Boy Cornwall

"The name 'Densil' is a Cornish variant of 'Denzil', meaning "from the high stronghold" or "fortress," derived from the Cornish…"

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D'Angelo
Boy Italian

"D'Angelo is an Italian surname meaning "of the angel," derived from the preposition "d'" (of) combined with "Angelo" (angel), with…"

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Denislav
Boy Slavic

"Denislav is a Slavic name composed of the elements "den" (day) and "slav" (glory), meaning "glory of the day" or…"

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Denzil
Unisex Cornwall

"The name 'Denzil' is of Cornish origin, derived from a place name meaning "fortress of the pagan temple" (from Cornish…"

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Denzle
Boy

"The given name 'Denzle' is derived from the Germanic word 'Denzel', which is composed of 'denu', meaning 'valley', and 'zel',…"

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Diangelo
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"The name 'Diangelo' is a modern Italian-American compound meaning "of the angels" or "angelic," derived from the Italian preposition *di*…"

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