Denise \d(e)-ni-se\ as a girl's name is pronounced de-NEES. It is of French origin, and the meaning of Denise is "follower of Dionysius". Feminine form of Dennis, from the Greek name Dionysius. There is an ancient Latin form of the name, Dionysia, but this variant dates back only to the 1920s. Actress Denise Richards.
Denise has 22 variant forms: Deneigh, Denese, Dennet, Dennette, Deney, Deni, Denice, Deniece, Denisa, Denissa, Denisse, Denize, Denni, Dennie, Denisse, Dennise, Denny, Denyce, Denys, Denyse, Dinnie and Dinny.