Total births
36,582
Boys' name · since 1880
Dexter
36,582 babies named Dexter in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2012. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #722
- among boys today
- 36,582
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Dexter currently ranks #722 among boys' names in America, with 36,582 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dexter has been recorded 36,582 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #722 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #722 among boys today
- 36,582 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dexter is currently the #722 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 36,582 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #722
- among boys today
- 36,582
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Dexter vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#722
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Dexter was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
842 babies were named Dexter in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Dexter compares
36,582 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Dexter's all-time total is 100x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dexter | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 36,582 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 842 | 23 | 22,252 |
Dexter's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Dexter splits its recorded history at 1955: 86% of all births land in the more recent half, 14% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2012 peak of 842 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Dexter at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2012
Current rank
#722
Active since
1880
Dexter popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 842
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dexter popularity over time - girls
218 total births recorded since 1905 (Dexter as girls' name)
Dexter by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Dexter's strongest decade.
7,155 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Dexter births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 75
1880s
75 births
- 1890s 65
1890s
65 births
- 1900s 87
1900s
87 births
- 1910s 511
1910s
511 births
- 1920s 856
1920s
856 births
- 1930s 820
1930s
820 births
- 1940s 1,456
1940s
1,456 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,483 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,902 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,869 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,288 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,862 births
- 2000s 2,576
2000s
2,576 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,155 births
- 2020s 2,577
2020s
2,577 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 7,155 births (20% of all-time use).
How Dexter compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Dexter's total volume
Dexter vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Dexter by state
Where Dexter concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 3,048 | 8.3% |
| #2 | California | | 2,434 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,185 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 2,015 | 5.5% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 1,727 | 4.7% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,684 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 1,441 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,388 | 3.8% |
Georgia share of Dexter's total US births 8.3%
Even split
3,048 of 36,582 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Dexter appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dexter? ▼
Dexter has been given to 36,582 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #722 as of the latest data. 842 babies were born in 2012, its single highest year.
When was Dexter most popular? ▼
Dexter was most popular in the 2010s decade with 7,155 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Dexter most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dexter are Georgia (3,048 births), California (2,434 births), Texas (2,185 births).
How long has the name Dexter been used? ▼
Records for Dexter go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Dexter? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dex, Dexton, Dextin, Dextyn, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Dexter's data
- Dexter's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (7,155 total births) through the 2020s (2,577) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Georgia records the most Dexters (3,048 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Dexter
Nearby Names Like Dexter
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dexter
Dex Boy
#3809 658 births
Dexton Boy
#4023 514 births
Dextin Boy
62 births
Dextyn Boy
#13536 40 births
Dexten Boy
35 births
Compare Dexter side by side: Dexter vs Dex Dexter vs Dexton Dexter vs Dextin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dexter
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dexter: #722 Boys' Name - 36,582 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dexter. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Dexter draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.