Name of the Week: Dexter

Origin:

Dexter is a Latin word meaning "on the right hand, right side" but also "skillfull", "proper" and "favourable". Our words dextrous and dexterity derive from this source. It was used in Biblical Latin to refer "the right hand" (mentioned 166 times) often symbolic in biblical verses for strength. The right hand of God, in particular, represents power, authority and judgement.  The surname Dexter, however, is a variant of Dyster meaning "a dyer". It originates from the Old English deagstre meaning "a female dyer" though the term later was used for men also. Early forms of the surname include Dygestre and Deystere.

Usage:

Dexter appears as a surname from the 13th century and was particularly notable in Essex, Leicester, Suffolk and Warwickshire. One of the earliest examples is of a John and Ralf Dextere in the Friary Rolls of Leicester in 1262. Later we find a William Dexter in the Assize Rolls of Warwick in 1378. As was common, Dexter became used as a given name as a direct adoption of the surname, usually because it was a family surname.  Births in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1 birth 3 births 3 births 5 births 3 births 4 births 5 births 9 births 11 births 14 births 35 births 56 births 126 births 125 births As we can see, Dexter was rare as a given name in the 19th century but picked up in the early 20th century. There was a noticeable jump in 1957 when Dexter went from an average of three births from 1950-1955 to 20 alone in 1957. The most likely impetus for this was the release of the film High Society in 1956 featuring Bing Crosby in the main role of C. K. Dexter Haven "Dex". This was a musical remake of the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story in which C. K. Dexter Haven "Dex" was portrayed by Cary Grant. High Society also had a significant impact on the name Tracy for girls at this time and helped boost the name Samantha.  From 1996 to 2004, Dexter ranked just above the top 500 in England and Wales in moderate use. In the space of five years, however, Dexter had not only moved up to #295 (109 births) from #408 in 2005 but had rocketed into the top 100 at #98 (676 births) by 2010.  A few things in popular culture may have helped this swift rise. Firstly, the Cartoon Network's popular children's animation Dexter's Laboratory was produced from 1995 to 2003 and was shown in reruns in Britain afterwards as well. From 2006 to 2013, we also had the Emmy award-winning American crime drama Dexter which, in 2013, The Guardian described as "one of most talked-about television programmes of the past decade."  In 2009, the year before it entered the top 100, singer Charlotte Church and rugby player Gavin Henson welcomed their son Dexter Lloyd Henson. Throughout the year, the Henson family were featured several times on the front pages of British magazines such as OK and Hello.  Initially, from 2010-2012, Dexter was more common in England than in Wales. However, at Dexter's combined peak of #63 (1019 births) in 2013, Dexter individually ranked at #44 in Wales and #64 in England.  In 2018, Dexter ranked at #95 (676 births) in England and Wales—#87 in Wales and #95 in England individually.  In Scotland, Dexter also saw a marked rise from 2008 onwards, however, it has never managed to break into the Scottish top 100. It peaked at #160 (36 births) in 2012 but has since declined. In 2018, Dexter ranked at #288 (13 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Dexter Horton (1825–1904), founder of the first bank in Seattle. * Dexter Curtis (1828-1898), American inventor and politician. * Dexter M. Ferry (1833–1907), American businessman. * Dexter Gordon (1923–1990), American jazz tenor saxophonist. Contemporary: * Dexter Brown (born 1942), British painter. * Dexter Fletcher (born 1966), British actor. * Dexter Blackstock (born 1986), English football player. * Dexter Fowler (born 1986), American baseball player. * Dexter Roberts (born 1991), American country music singer. Literature and Other Media: * C.K. Dexter Haven "Dex", a main character in the 1939 play and 1940 film The Philadelphia Story. * Dexter Morgan, a fictional serial vigilante and blood spatter analyst created by writer Jeff Lindsay. * Dexter "Dex" Barrington, a character in The Country Bears. * Dexter Walker, a character in the Australian TV soap opera Home and Away (2009-2013). * Dexter Mulholland, a character from EastEnders (2009). * Dexter Hartman, a character from EastEnders (2013-2015). * Dexter, the main character from Dexter's Laboratory.

Variants:

Dex

Pronunciation:

DEK-stə [key]

Possible diminutives:

Dex, Dec

Sibling Names:

Luna     Delilah     Thea     Margot     Robyn     Eloise Elliot     Zachary     Ezra     Rowan     Blake     Finn

Name Lists:

Lively Lads

 

If you like Dexter you may also like:   Wyatt, Layton, Fletcher, Rex, Rhys, Archer, Jasper, Milo, Roman, Sonny

Thanks to Amy for requesting this name.