Denver \d(e)-nver, den-ver\ as a boy's name is pronounced DEN-ver. It is of Old English and French origin, and the meaning of Denver is "green valley". Also possibly a variant of the French surname Danvers, meaning "from Anvers". Contemporary use may refer to the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named after the 19th-century governor James W. Denver. Actor Denver Pyle; singer John Denver.