Dexter

Last seen for girls in 1988 at #11,798 · #692 for boys in 2025, 393 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1968 · 760 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
36,582
since 1880

Dexter over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Dexter has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201953peak #262, 1968boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#692393
2024—#722364
2023—#699380
2022—#692383
2021—#531554
2020—#558503
2019—#465638
2018—#475613
2017—#447686
2016—#438703
2015—#412755
2014—#396788
2013—#382784
2012—#361842
2011—#384753
2010—#452593
2009—#542486
2008—#708329
2007—#832257
2006—#917209
2005—#870211
2004—#798226
2003—#857201
2002—#819205
2001—#752229
2000—#755223
1999—#757211
1998—#617296
1997—#605292
1996—#586307
1995—#554336
1994—#546356
1993—#470447
1992—#476451
1991—#411554
1990—#377612
1989—#336688
1988#11,7985#334643
1987—#317665
1986#8,5237#334587
1985#9,3076#424410
1984—#459336
1983—#569220
1982#10,5175#577221
1981—#527255
1980#9,0956#530263
1979—#533252
1978—#486278
1977#9,6525#488278
1976#9,2845#477275
1975—#466298
1974—#408366
1973—#391391
1972#8,2925#352484
1971#8,3245#333549
1970#7,0706#295698
1969#4,72310#309606
1968#5,1478#262760
1967—#361436
1966#4,8668#362430
1965—#336507
1964—#384428
1963#5,8916#385425
1962—#378454
1961#6,5675#388422
1960—#379434
1959#5,5666#396403
1958#5,4086#355464
1957#4,9187#342487
1956—#370401
1955—#356411
1954—#396326
1953#5,6735#414290
1952—#422270
1951—#438238
1950—#481193
1949—#563144
1948—#538152
1947—#543153
1946—#516155
1945#4,0256#507139
1944—#508143
1943—#487160
1942—#519140
1941—#466161
1940—#568109
1939—#58197
1938—#583101
1937—#63186
1936—#73667
1935—#70274
1934—#69776
1933—#70373
1932—#62690
1931—#75667
1930—#65489
1929—#63992
1928—#65292
1927—#73379
1926—#64296
1925#4,0287#66991
1924#2,51414#98451
1923#2,26416#70684
1922#2,95811#637103
1921#3,16410#73780
1920#3,3409#68088
1919—#66387
1918#4,2916#73376
1917#3,7137#77366
1916#4,4175#72469
1915—#69870
1914—#80243
1913—#69643
1912—#81629
1911—#82416
1910—#92812
1909—#71415
1908—#9469
1907#1,8216#63416
1906—#75211
1905#1,9315#69912
1904——
1903—#1,0096
1902—#7949
1901—#7279
1900——
1899——
1898—#1,1215
1897—#9426
1896—#1,1015
1895—#7958
1894—#7878
1893—#57212
1892—#9566
1891—#7008
1890—#8147
1889—#7897
1888—#64810
1887—#6319
1886——
1885—#9365
1884—#57011
1883—#7996
1882—#57611
1881—#56310
1880—#8096
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Dexter was already there! It came in at #809, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1885–1886, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Dexter is popular in 1953

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedAKMaine: #188 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,938 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedMNIllinois: #384 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 7,786 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedWIMichigan: #412 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 9,910 boysMINew York: #453 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 10,944 boysNYMassachusetts: #309 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 10,357 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedIAIndiana: #342 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 6,346 boysINOhio: #484 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 12,900 boysOHPennsylvania: #445 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 14,681 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #373 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 5,717 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedMOKentucky: #277 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,954 boysKYWest Virginia: #328 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,507 boysWVVirginia: #413 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 7,044 boysVAMaryland: #289 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,061 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedARTennessee: #230 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 2,208 boysTNNorth Carolina: #254 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 2,252 boysNCSouth Carolina: #273 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,544 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #223 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,054 boysDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Dexter, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #327 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 3,276 boysLAMississippi: #398 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,814 boysMSAlabama: #423 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,443 boysALGeorgia: #264 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 2,470 boysGAHawaii: #117 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 430 boysHITexas: #664 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 10,799 boysTXFlorida: #296 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 3,189 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Hawaii#117 · 1 in 430
  2. Maine#188 · 1 in 1,938
  3. District of Columbia#223 · 1 in 2,054
  4. Tennessee#230 · 1 in 2,208
  5. North Carolina#254 · 1 in 2,252

Best ever in a state: #60 in Georgia, 1968.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#117161 in 430
Maine#18851 in 1,938
District of Columbia#22371 in 2,054
Tennessee#230181 in 2,208
North Carolina#254241 in 2,252
Georgia#264191 in 2,470
South Carolina#273121 in 2,544
Kentucky#277121 in 2,954
Maryland#28971 in 4,061
Florida#296121 in 3,189
Massachusetts#30951 in 10,357
Louisiana#327121 in 3,276
West Virginia#32851 in 4,507
Indiana#34281 in 6,346
California#373261 in 5,717
Illinois#384131 in 7,786
Mississippi#39861 in 4,814
Michigan#41291 in 9,910
Virginia#41361 in 7,044
Alabama#42361 in 6,443
Pennsylvania#44581 in 14,681
New York#453151 in 10,944
Ohio#48481 in 12,900
Texas#664111 in 10,799
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Minnesota———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Dexter
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 30 spots since 2024 (#722 → #692)
  • 134 spots since 2020 (#558 → #692)
  • 280 spots since 2015 (#412 → #692)
  • Biggest jump: 384 spots in 1893 (#956 → #572)
  • Biggest drop: 366 spots in 1885 (#570 → #936)
Rise & fade · boys
88 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1968 at #262 (760 births)
  • Births halved by 1974, 6 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 139 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 139 yrs · run 1905–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 2,253
  • Highest: 1 in 2,253 boys born in 2012 were named Dexter (0.04%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,346 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
  • Its best rank, #262 in 1968, was only 1 in 2,287 (0.04%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2010s
  • 19.6% of all boys named Dexter (7,155) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s75#563 (1881)#702
1890s65#572 (1893)#865
1900s87#634 (1907)#784
1910s511#663 (1919)#766
1920s856#637 (1922)#708
1930s820#581 (1939)#667
1940s1,456#466 (1941)#522
1950s3,483#342 (1957)#397
1960s4,902#262 (1968)#354
1970s3,869#295 (1970)#423
1980s4,288#317 (1987)#441
1990s3,862#377 (1990)#540
2000s2,576#542 (2009)#785
2010s7,155#361 (2012)#421
2020s2,577#531 (2021)#649

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Dexter in 1953

girls
#5,673
5 births · 1 in 376,260 girls
boys
#414
290 births · 1 in 6,801 boys

Top girls' names in 1953

  1. #1Mary64,389
  2. #2Linda61,281
  3. #3Deborah52,199
  4. #4Patricia51,019
  5. #5Susan44,297
  6. #6Barbara38,473
  7. #7Debra36,856
  8. #8Nancy30,620
  9. #9Karen29,858
  10. #10Pamela25,760
  11. #5,673Dexter5

Top boys' names in 1953

  1. #1Robert86,243
  2. #2James86,066
  3. #3Michael84,198
  4. #4John80,165
  5. #5David76,119
  6. #6William61,829
  7. #7Richard58,389
  8. #8Thomas47,008
  9. #9Charles38,421
  10. #10Gary36,967
  11. #414Dexter290
More about 1953

girls

1,881,301 girls got a published name in 1953; 1 in 376,260 of them was named Dexter, which outranked 12.7% of the 6,497 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dexter
  1. #5,040Zenia6
  2. #5,040Zenith6
  3. #5,040Zoanne6
  4. #5,673Dexter5
  5. #5,673Abagail5
  6. #5,673Adelene5
  7. #5,673Adelmira5

Tied with 824 names at #5,673; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,253Enola#3,201 → #948
  2. ↑ 885Lu#1,368 → #483
  3. ↑ 749Joni#1,046 → #297
  4. ↑ 553Brooke#1,351 → #798
  5. ↑ 531Lorri#1,430 → #899
Fallers
  1. ↓ 274Roseanna#808 → #1,082
  2. ↓ 253Georgie#946 → #1,199
  3. ↓ 218Pandora#783 → #1,001
  4. ↓ 204Fonda#822 → #1,026
  5. ↓ 195Brinda#935 → #1,130

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,972,299 boys got a published name in 1953; 1 in 6,801 of them was named Dexter, which outranked 90.5% of the 4,341 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dexter
  1. #411Elton292
  2. #412Cornelius291
  3. #412Norris291
  4. #414Dexter290
  5. #415Kirby288
  6. #416Dannie287
  7. #416Emmett287
Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,276Faron#2,251 → #975
  2. ↑ 694Shane#1,213 → #519
  3. ↑ 528Enrico#1,517 → #989
  4. ↑ 441Blaise#1,430 → #989
  5. ↑ 429Robbin#1,268 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 427Durwood#981 → #1,408
  2. ↓ 392Jonnie#939 → #1,331
  3. ↓ 312Elvis#968 → #1,280
  4. ↓ 293Edsel#968 → #1,261
  5. ↓ 292Beverly#766 → #1,058

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1953 →