Surname Denison - Meaning and Origin

Denison: What does the surname Denison mean?

The last name Denison originates from an English surname. It is derived from the French ‘d’Anison’ and the Old English phrase ‘denys’. The name roughly translates to mean ‘of the ash tree valley’. Denison families were first found in Cheshire and Derbyshire in the 12th century. It is believed that Denison families were of Norman origins.

The Denison surname has various alternate spellings including Denison, Denys, Denyso, Dennison, and Dunson. It has been noted that some Scottish families used Kashmiri rather than Dunson as a variant.

The Denison family has produced many notable members throughout the course of history, including professional athletes, politicians, and scientists. The most well-known Denison to date is literary critic and professor George Denison. He wrote many books on poetry and literature during the 19th century and has had a lasting influence on literary criticism.

The Denison name is still very common in Great Britain, with families living throughout the United Kingdom and United States. It is a strong name with proud heritage, with the earliest recorded ancestor dating back to 1202.

Denison: Where does the name Denison come from?

The surname Denison is most commonly found in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the highest concentration of the Denison surname is found in Texas, followed by California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. In Canada, the highest concentration of Denisons is found in Quebec, followed by Ontario and Alberta.

Denisons have a rich heritage in the United States, and the name was likely derived from the name Dennis, as a surname. During the early European colonization of America, the name ‘Dennis’ was typically given to people who had arrived from England, Ireland, or France. It is possible the surname Denison was derived from the Norman personal name D’An(n)eson, which was eventually Anglicized to Denison.

The surname Denison appears to have been brought to America by settlers in the mid-17th century. The earliest appearance of Denisons in American records is for Benjamin Denison in Connecticut in 1648, followed by Thomas Denison in Rhode Island in 1652. Since then, the Denison name has grown in prominence in the United States and Canada.

The Denison family has a long and proud tradition of service in the United States military. Jeremiah Denison was an American Revolutionary War soldier and later a major-general of militia in Pennsylvania. His son, U.S. economist William Denison, served as the Major General of the Ohio troops in the War of 1812. This family tradition of service eventually extended to WWII, when the Denison family was among the first to serve in the Navy.

Today, the Denison surname can be found in various locations around the world and is associated with a rich and proud heritage.

Variations of the surname Denison

The surname Denison is derived from the Old Norse personal name Deni or Dene, which means ‘dane’ or ‘descendant of Dane’. This surname has an Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is derived from the Old English ‘dene’, which means ‘valley’. There are a variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin as Denison, such as Dennison, Denniston, Denniss, Dennys, Dennise, Deanna, Denina, Denys, Denyse, Dina, Dinah, Dine, Dionne and Dyne.

In some cases, there are other spellings of the surname Denison that are derived from other languages, regions and cultures where this surname has been traditionally used such as Denmark, England and Scotland. These variants include ‘Denauer’, ‘Dennisen’, ‘Denichen’, ‘Denike’, ‘Denikeldsen’, ‘Denisken’, ‘Denissen’, ‘Dennicke’, ‘Dennicker’, ‘Dennikke’, ‘Dennissen’, ‘Dennisonn’, ‘Denz’, ‘Denza’, ‘Denizens’ and ‘Duyn’.

Surnames of the same origin as Denison are often found in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Scotland. In the United States, numerous variant spellings of Denison were adopted by families that emigrated from Northumbria in England during the colonial period. During this time, some of the most common surnames associated with the Denison family were Dennison, Denniston, Denniss, Denizan, and Dinah.

In Scotland, ‘Denny’ was frequently used as a surname, while in Canada ‘Denison’ was largely adopted by families who emigrated from England and Ireland during the colonial period.

In addition to the variants and spellings listed above, the surname Denison is also often shortened to ‘Den’ and ‘Denny’, and has been ported in some regions to Kurdish and Armenian.

Famous people with the name Denison

• Sarah Denison: actress, writer, producer
• Tom Denison: English cricket player
• William H Denison: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
• Harry Denison: film editor
• Zebulon Denison: politician
• Anita Denison: singer
• Teresa Denison: Olympic marathon runner
• J. Austin Denison: physicist and inventor
• Richard Denison: physicist
• Richelle Denison: professional dancer
• Elsa Denison: science fiction author
• Alex Denison: American football player
• David Denison: music producer
• John Denison: American Revolutionary war soldier
• Josephine Denison: American science fiction writer
• Elizabeth Denison: Socialite, Racing Driver and Entrepreneur
• Norman Denison: British army officer
• Marc Denison: computer scientist
• Lyle Denison: American test pilot
• Charles Denison: Canadian journalist

Other surnames

DenisDenisenkoDenisoffDenisovDenisovaDenisowDenissenDenissenkoDenissoffDenissovDenissovaDenissow

Comments or additions to the name "Denison"

09.03.2024
This synopsis on Denison is a huge fail. My 10th great grandfather arrived in what is today Boston from Bishops storyboard England with his 3 sons in 1631 William bright Daniel Edward and George. They all figure prominently in the formation of Laws and society in Massachusetts and Connecticut.