Dexter is an established boys' name that peaked in 2012 and has grown less common since.
Dexter is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #693 for boy births in the United States (and #1,394 across all names), given to 393 babies. Dexter was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 2012 (842 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | 393 | — | #693 |
| 2024 | 364 | 364 | — | #724 |
| 2023 | 380 | 380 | — | #700 |
| 2022 | 383 | 383 | — | #692 |
| 2021 | 554 | 554 | — | #531 |
| 2020 | 503 | 503 | — | #558 |
| 2019 | 638 | 638 | — | #466 |
| 2018 | 613 | 613 | — | #475 |
| 2017 | 686 | 686 | — | #447 |
| 2016 | 703 | 703 | — | #439 |
| 2015 | 755 | 755 | — | #413 |
| 2014 | 788 | 788 | — | #396 |
| 2013 | 784 | 784 | — | #382 |
| 2012 | 842 | 842 | — | #361 |
| 2011 | 753 | 753 | — | #384 |
| 2010 | 593 | 593 | — | #452 |
| 2009 | 486 | 491 | — | #542 |
| 2008 | 329 | 329 | — | #710 |
| 2007 | 257 | 257 | — | #832 |
| 2006 | 209 | 209 | — | #917 |
| 2005 | 211 | 211 | — | #870 |
| 2004 | 226 | 226 | — | #799 |
| 2003 | 201 | 201 | — | #857 |
| 2002 | 205 | 205 | — | #822 |
| 2001 | 229 | 229 | — | #753 |
| 2000 | 223 | 223 | — | #755 |
| 1999 | 211 | 211 | — | #758 |
| 1998 | 296 | 296 | — | #618 |
| 1997 | 292 | — | — | #607 |
| 1996 | 307 | — | — | #586 |
| 1995 | 336 | — | — | #554 |
| 1994 | 356 | — | — | #547 |
| 1993 | 447 | — | — | #470 |
| 1992 | 451 | — | — | #476 |
| 1991 | 554 | — | — | #411 |
| 1990 | 612 | — | — | #378 |
| 1989 | 688 | — | — | #336 |
| 1988 | 648 | — | #12,317 | #334 |
| 1987 | 665 | — | — | #317 |
| 1986 | 594 | — | #8,783 | #334 |
| 1985 | 416 | — | #9,625 | #424 |
| 1984 | 336 | — | — | #459 |
| 1983 | 220 | — | — | #569 |
| 1982 | 226 | — | #10,916 | #577 |
| 1981 | 255 | — | — | #527 |
| 1980 | 269 | — | #9,386 | #530 |
| 1979 | 252 | — | — | #534 |
| 1978 | 278 | — | — | #486 |
| 1977 | 283 | — | #10,013 | #488 |
| 1976 | 280 | — | #9,671 | #477 |
| 1975 | 298 | — | — | #466 |
| 1974 | 366 | — | — | #408 |
| 1973 | 391 | — | — | #391 |
| 1972 | 489 | — | #8,594 | #353 |
| 1971 | 554 | — | #8,664 | #333 |
| 1970 | 704 | — | #7,305 | #295 |
| 1969 | 616 | — | #4,794 | #309 |
| 1968 | 768 | — | #5,255 | #262 |
| 1967 | 436 | — | — | #361 |
| 1966 | 438 | — | #4,974 | #362 |
| 1965 | 507 | — | — | #336 |
| 1964 | 428 | — | — | #384 |
| 1963 | 431 | — | #6,049 | #385 |
| 1962 | 454 | — | — | #378 |
| 1961 | 427 | — | #6,802 | #388 |
| 1960 | 434 | — | — | #379 |
| 1959 | 409 | — | #5,732 | #396 |
| 1958 | 470 | — | #5,578 | #355 |
| 1957 | 494 | — | #5,027 | #342 |
| 1956 | 401 | — | — | #370 |
| 1955 | 411 | — | — | #356 |
| 1954 | 326 | — | — | #397 |
| 1953 | 295 | — | #5,878 | #414 |
| 1952 | 270 | — | — | #422 |
| 1951 | 238 | — | — | #439 |
| 1950 | 193 | — | — | #481 |
| 1949 | 144 | — | — | #563 |
| 1948 | 152 | — | — | #538 |
| 1947 | 153 | — | — | #543 |
| 1946 | 155 | — | — | #517 |
| 1945 | 145 | — | #4,150 | #507 |
| 1944 | 143 | — | — | #508 |
| 1943 | 160 | — | — | #487 |
| 1942 | 140 | — | — | #519 |
| 1941 | 161 | — | — | #467 |
| 1940 | 109 | — | — | #568 |
| 1939 | 97 | — | — | #582 |
| 1938 | 101 | — | — | #583 |
| 1937 | 86 | — | — | #633 |
| 1936 | 67 | — | — | #737 |
| 1935 | 74 | — | — | #704 |
| 1934 | 76 | — | — | #698 |
| 1933 | 73 | — | — | #706 |
| 1932 | 90 | — | — | #627 |
| 1931 | 67 | — | — | #762 |
| 1930 | 89 | — | — | #656 |
| 1929 | 92 | — | — | #639 |
| 1928 | 92 | — | — | #653 |
| 1927 | 79 | — | — | #736 |
| 1926 | 96 | — | — | #643 |
| 1925 | 98 | — | #4,119 | #669 |
| 1924 | 65 | — | #2,558 | #984 |
| 1923 | 100 | — | #2,289 | #707 |
| 1922 | 114 | — | #3,007 | #638 |
| 1921 | 90 | — | #3,219 | #739 |
| 1920 | 97 | — | #3,395 | #680 |
| 1919 | 87 | — | — | #664 |
| 1918 | 82 | — | #4,415 | #738 |
| 1917 | 73 | — | #3,809 | #776 |
| 1916 | 74 | — | #4,596 | #726 |
| 1915 | 70 | — | — | #700 |
| 1914 | 43 | — | — | #803 |
| 1913 | 43 | — | — | #699 |
| 1912 | 29 | — | — | #817 |
| 1911 | 16 | — | — | #835 |
| 1910 | 12 | — | — | #944 |
| 1909 | 15 | — | — | #727 |
| 1908 | 9 | — | — | #964 |
| 1907 | 22 | — | #1,885 | #640 |
| 1906 | 11 | — | — | #768 |
| 1905 | 17 | — | #2,011 | #711 |
| 1903 | 6 | — | — | #1,040 |
| 1902 | 9 | — | — | #809 |
| 1901 | 9 | — | — | #739 |
| 1898 | 5 | — | — | #1,167 |
| 1897 | 6 | — | — | #970 |
| 1896 | 5 | — | — | #1,136 |
| 1895 | 8 | — | — | #812 |
| 1894 | 8 | — | — | #803 |
| 1893 | 12 | — | — | #581 |
| 1892 | 6 | — | — | #984 |
| 1891 | 8 | — | — | #718 |
| 1890 | 7 | — | — | #827 |
| 1889 | 7 | — | — | #818 |
| 1888 | 10 | — | — | #663 |
| 1887 | 9 | — | — | #644 |
| 1885 | 5 | — | — | #974 |
| 1884 | 11 | — | — | #581 |
| 1883 | 6 | — | — | #821 |
| 1882 | 11 | — | — | #583 |
| 1881 | 10 | — | — | #571 |
| 1880 | 6 | — | — | #842 |