Dexter
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DEKS-ter
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #172 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #692 for boys
Dexter is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “dyer”. In 2025 it ranked 172nd for boys in the UK (350 babies) and 692nd for boys in the US (393 babies).
What does Dexter mean?
English: English occupational surname
“dyer”
An English occupational surname for a dyer of cloth; in Latin dexter also means right-handed.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Dexter a girl's or a boy's name?
Dexter is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 350 boys in the UK and 393 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Dexter in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 172nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 350 about 1 in 860 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.6% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 350 boys in the UK were named Dexter, making it the 172nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 136th. Its busiest year was 2013, with 1,058 boys.
Half of all the boys named Dexter in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 154th in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#73).
Dexter in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 350 | #172 |
| 2024 | 389 | #153 |
| 2023 | 301 | #190 |
| 2022 | 337 | #170 |
| 2021 | 438 | #147 |
| 2020 | 466 | #136 |
| 2019 | 560 | #118 |
| 2018 | 692 | #102 |
| 2017 | 814 | #94 |
| 2016 | 859 | #93 |
| 2015 | 883 | #87 |
| 2014 | 937 | #82 |
| 2013 | 1,058 | #70 |
| 2012 | 997 | #76 |
| 2011 | 870 | #86 |
| 2010 | 694 | #105 |
| 2009 | 492 | #136 |
| 2008 | 287 | #194 |
| 2007 | 175 | #261 |
| 2006 | 132 | #299 |
| 2005 | 111 | #317 |
| 2004 | 70 | #435 |
| 2003 | 78 | #382 |
| 2002 | 61 | #418 |
| 2001 | 55 | #444 |
| 2000 | 33 | #620 |
| 1999 | 63 | #397 |
| 1998 | 67 | #390 |
| 1997 | 41 | #510 |
| 1996 | 52 | #427 |
How popular is Dexter in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 692nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 393 about 1 in 4,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 35% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 393 boys in the US were named Dexter, making it the 692nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 558th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 842 boys.
Half of all the boys named Dexter in the US since 1880 were born between 1964 and 2010, the years shaded on the chart below.
Dexter in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | #692 |
| 2024 | 364 | #722 |
| 2023 | 380 | #699 |
| 2022 | 383 | #692 |
| 2021 | 554 | #531 |
| 2020 | 503 | #558 |
| 2019 | 638 | #465 |
| 2018 | 613 | #475 |
| 2017 | 686 | #447 |
| 2016 | 703 | #438 |
| 2015 | 755 | #412 |
| 2014 | 788 | #396 |
| 2013 | 784 | #382 |
| 2012 | 842 | #361 |
| 2011 | 753 | #384 |
| 2010 | 593 | #452 |
| 2009 | 486 | #542 |
| 2008 | 329 | #708 |
| 2007 | 257 | #832 |
| 2006 | 209 | #917 |
| 2005 | 211 | #870 |
| 2004 | 226 | #798 |
| 2003 | 201 | #856 |
| 2002 | 205 | #818 |
| 2001 | 229 | #751 |
| 2000 | 223 | #754 |
| 1999 | 211 | #755 |
| 1998 | 296 | #617 |
| 1997 | 292 | #605 |
| 1996 | 307 | #586 |
| 1995 | 336 | #554 |
| 1994 | 356 | #545 |
| 1993 | 447 | #470 |
| 1992 | 451 | #476 |
| 1991 | 554 | #411 |
| 1990 | 612 | #377 |
| 1989 | 688 | #336 |
| 1988 | 643 | #334 |
| 1987 | 665 | #317 |
| 1986 | 587 | #334 |
| 1985 | 410 | #424 |
| 1984 | 336 | #459 |
| 1983 | 220 | #569 |
| 1982 | 221 | #577 |
| 1981 | 255 | #527 |
| 1980 | 263 | #530 |
| 1979 | 252 | #533 |
| 1978 | 278 | #486 |
| 1977 | 278 | #488 |
| 1976 | 275 | #477 |
| 1975 | 298 | #466 |
| 1974 | 366 | #408 |
| 1973 | 391 | #391 |
| 1972 | 484 | #352 |
| 1971 | 549 | #333 |
| 1970 | 698 | #295 |
| 1969 | 606 | #309 |
| 1968 | 760 | #262 |
| 1967 | 436 | #361 |
| 1966 | 430 | #362 |
| 1965 | 507 | #336 |
| 1964 | 428 | #384 |
| 1963 | 425 | #385 |
| 1962 | 454 | #378 |
| 1961 | 422 | #388 |
| 1960 | 434 | #379 |
| 1959 | 403 | #396 |
| 1958 | 464 | #355 |
| 1957 | 487 | #342 |
| 1956 | 401 | #369 |
| 1955 | 411 | #355 |
| 1954 | 326 | #395 |
| 1953 | 290 | #413 |
| 1952 | 270 | #421 |
| 1951 | 238 | #437 |
| 1950 | 193 | #480 |
| 1949 | 144 | #562 |
| 1948 | 152 | #537 |
| 1947 | 153 | #543 |
| 1946 | 155 | #516 |
| 1945 | 139 | #507 |
| 1944 | 143 | #508 |
| 1943 | 160 | #487 |
| 1942 | 140 | #519 |
| 1941 | 161 | #466 |
| 1940 | 109 | #568 |
| 1939 | 97 | #581 |
| 1938 | 101 | #583 |
| 1937 | 86 | #631 |
| 1936 | 67 | #736 |
| 1935 | 74 | #702 |
| 1934 | 76 | #697 |
| 1933 | 73 | #703 |
| 1932 | 90 | #626 |
| 1931 | 67 | #756 |
| 1930 | 89 | #654 |
| 1929 | 92 | #639 |
| 1928 | 92 | #652 |
| 1927 | 79 | #733 |
| 1926 | 96 | #642 |
| 1925 | 91 | #669 |
| 1924 | 51 | #984 |
| 1923 | 84 | #706 |
| 1922 | 103 | #637 |
| 1921 | 80 | #737 |
| 1920 | 88 | #680 |
| 1919 | 87 | #663 |
| 1918 | 76 | #733 |
| 1917 | 66 | #773 |
| 1916 | 69 | #724 |
| 1915 | 70 | #698 |
| 1914 | 43 | #802 |
| 1913 | 43 | #696 |
| 1912 | 29 | #816 |
| 1911 | 16 | #823 |
| 1910 | 12 | #927 |
| 1909 | 15 | #714 |
| 1908 | 9 | #946 |
| 1907 | 16 | #634 |
| 1906 | 11 | #752 |
| 1905 | 12 | #699 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,009 |
| 1902 | 9 | #793 |
| 1901 | 9 | #727 |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,120 |
| 1897 | 6 | #941 |
| 1896 | 5 | #1,100 |
| 1895 | 8 | #794 |
| 1894 | 8 | #786 |
| 1893 | 12 | #572 |
| 1892 | 6 | #955 |
| 1891 | 8 | #699 |
| 1890 | 7 | #814 |
| 1889 | 7 | #789 |
| 1888 | 10 | #648 |
| 1887 | 9 | #631 |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 5 | #935 |
| 1884 | 11 | #570 |
| 1883 | 6 | #798 |
| 1882 | 11 | #576 |
| 1881 | 10 | #563 |
| 1880 | 6 | #809 |
Nicknames for Dexter
Names like Dexter
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Blake, Joey, Frankie, Mason, Spencer, Carter, Hunter, Toby, Riley, Parker, Bobby, Cooper
Names related to Dexter
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Oakley, Ruby, Hallie, Hazel, Harrison, River
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Dexter: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/dexter, updated 20 October 2026.