# Dexter (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/dexter/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as an occupation for a female dyer.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | occupational, named after the work an ancestor did |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 10,099 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,535 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 30,572 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.5% (9,660 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛkstɚ/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Dyster |

## Etymology

Variant of Dyster. Also partially from Latin dexter (“right (handed)”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Dexter in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Dexter in the United States.

## People named Dexter

- Brad Dexter, American actor (1917–2002)
- Samuel Dexter, American politician (1761–1816) who served in Congress and in Presidential Cabinets of Joh
- Timothy Dexter, American businessman and author (1747–1806)
- Elliott Dexter, American actor (1970–1941)
- Anthony Dexter, American actor
- Pete Dexter, American writer
- Annabelle Dexter-Jones, American actress
- Al Dexter, American singer-songwriter
- Timothy Treadwell, American documentary filmmaker (1957–2003)

## Similar surnames

Dykstra, Daughtry, Doster, Doctor, Dockter, Desiderio, Daughtery, Daughtrey.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.