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.
- #597 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #692 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 36,582
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Dexter currently ranks #692 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 #692 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.
- #597 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #692 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 36,582 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Dexter ranks #597 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #692 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 36,582 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #597 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #692 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 36,582
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Dexter's 36,582 recorded births place it above 98.68% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
48 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Georgia.
How Dexter compares
36,582 Top 5% higher than 95% of 13,930 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 99x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dexter | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 36,582 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 842 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (7,155 births, 20% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Dexter sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Dexter most popular? ▼
Where is Dexter most popular? ▼
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What names are similar to Dexter? ▼
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
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
Compare Dexter side by side: Dexter vs Dex Dexter vs Dexton Dexter vs Dextin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dexter
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Dexter: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2012)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.