Dexter

Primarily a boy's name · 100% boys

Meaning

Dexter is an English masculine given name. It is a transferred use of a surname derived from the Old English word deagestre, meaning “dyer of cloth.” Dexter is also a Latin term meaning skillful.

From Wikipedia

Dexter first appears in the data in 2014 and has been recorded in 4 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 2015 with 13 babies (rank #159 that year). It was not in the 2025 data. The name has been declining over the last five years.

Numerology of Dexter

In Pythagorean numerology, every letter has a value from 1 to 9. Adding the letters of Dexter yields these three numbers — a playful read on the name's character.

4Destiny numberThe builderPractical, steady, gets results through hard work.Sum of every letter. The overall character a name carries.
1Soul urgeThe leaderIndependent, pioneering, drawn to going first.Sum of the vowels — what's said to drive the heart.
3PersonalityThe creativeExpressive, sociable, lifted by playful energy.Sum of the consonants — the outer impression.

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

Peak in a single year

Popularity Over Time — Boys

Famous people named Dexter

Dexter Gordonrecording artist · b. 1923
Dexter Fletcherfilm producer · b. 1966

Share your Dexter story

Why did you choose this name — or what does it mean to you? Approved stories appear on this page.

More popular boys' names

Other boys' names starting with D

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all boys' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
2014	10	#179
2015	13	#159
2016	5	#295
2017	2	#586