Dexter

Dexter: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “right-handed; skillful”
Origin: Latin
Say it: DEKS-ter · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From a Latin surname and nickname meaning 'right-handed' or 'fortunate, skillful'. It later became an English given name.

English names Surname-style names Classic names

How popular is Dexter?

2024109 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Dexter in 2024364

2024 rank#719 boys

Peak year2012

Total US babies since 188036,404

Dexter is fading: recent use is about 63% of its level ten years before.

Names like Dexter

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Lucasfrom Lucania · Latin
Leolion · Latin
Julianyouthful, downy-bearded · Latin
Anthonyof the Antonius family · Latin
RomanRoman, from Rome · Latin
Bennettblessed · Latin
Adrianfrom Hadria · Latin
Christianfollower of Christ · Latin

Dexter questions

What does the name Dexter mean?

Dexter means "right-handed; skillful". It comes from Latin. From a Latin surname and nickname meaning 'right-handed' or 'fortunate, skillful'. It later became an English given name.

Is Dexter a boy or girl name?

Dexter is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Dexter?

364 US babies were named Dexter in 2024. Its peak year was 2012.

How do you pronounce Dexter?

Dexter is usually pronounced DEKS-ter.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.