Boys' name · peaked in 2012
Dexter name popularity since 1925
35,567 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Dexter. Half of them were born in 1987 or earlier, so the typical Dexter is about 39 years old in 2026. Dexter peaked in 2012 as the #361 name for boys, and it ranked #693 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 35,567
- Named Dexter, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #693
- for boys in 2025 (393 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 129 girls · 35,438 boys
- Most popular in
- Georgia
- 3.51× its national share
Peak year is the year Dexter made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Dexter births per year, 1925–2025
2012 was the biggest year for Dexter both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Steepest fall: Between 1970 and 1975, Dexter's share of baby boys fell by 49%, from 1 in 2,660 to 1 in 5,240.
- Fastest rise: Between 2006 and 2011, it became 3.9× more common, from 1 in 9,830 baby boys to 1 in 2,520.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Dexter's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Dexter.
Decade by decade
Babies named Dexter in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 7 | 450 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 820 | #704 |
| 1940s | 6 | 1,456 | #507 |
| 1950s | 24 | 3,483 | #356 |
| 1960s | 37 | 4,902 | #336 |
| 1970s | 26 | 3,869 | #466 |
| 1980s | 29 | 4,288 | #424 |
| 1990s | 0 | 3,862 | #554 |
| 2000s | 0 | 2,576 | #870 |
| 2010s | 0 | 7,155 | #413 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 2,577 | #693 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
21.2% of babies named Dexter from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Dexter is most popular
The index compares Dexter's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Dexter.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3.51× | 3,048 |
| Mississippi | 3.51× | 1,336 |
| Louisiana | 2.56× | 1,441 |
| Alabama | 2.24× | 1,245 |
| South Carolina | 1.99× | 876 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Dexter's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Dexter.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Dexter (2012).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data