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Dexter

Quick answerDexter derives from the Latin word "dexter," meaning "right" or "skillful," originally referring to the right side or hand, which was associated with competence and favorable fortune.

English · Boy · 2 syllables

D
Top 1,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#693
TrendStable
Peak year2012
Syllables2
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish
ReligionChristian
Letters6
Numerology4 Chaldean 7
Global rank#143

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Dexter

Dexter derives from the Latin word "dexter," meaning "right" or "skillful," originally referring to the right side or hand, which was associated with competence and favorable fortune.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Dexter derives from the Latin word "dexter," meaning "right" or "skillful," originally referring to the right side or hand, which was associated with competence and favorable fortune. The name has been used primarily in English-speaking cultures and Christian societies since the Middle Ages, with notable historical use among English nobility and later popularized in modern American culture through literature and media.

Dexter currently ranks #693 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2012.

Variants & nicknames

Dex

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