
The short answer
Denver is a unisex name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname that was from a place name meaning ‘Dane ford’ in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W." It ranked #518 for boys and #836 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname that was from a place name meaning ‘Dane ford’ in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Denver ranked #518 for boys and #836 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #518 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #836 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #518 (Social Security Administration)
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Denver in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Denver mean?
Denver means "Dane ford", according to Behind the Name.
Is Denver a popular name?
Denver ranked #518 for boys and #836 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Denver a boy's or a girl's name?
Denver appears in both the boys' and girls' SSA lists for 2025, so it is used for both.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Denver — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.