NameCensus.

UK surname

Dexter

One who dyes or one who is skilled at dyeing cloth or fabric.

In the 1881 census there were 2,199 people recorded with the Dexter surname, ranking it #2,016 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,955, ranked #2,279, down from #2,016 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, Bolsover and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dexter is 3,097 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.4%.

1881 census count

2,199

Ranked #2,016

Modern count

2,955

2016, ranked #2,279

Peak year

1999

3,097 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dexter had 2,199 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,016 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,955 in 2016, ranked #2,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,969 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dexter surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dexter surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dexter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dexter over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,349 #2,135
1861 historical 1,086 #2,584
1881 historical 2,199 #2,016
1891 historical 2,267 #2,064
1901 historical 2,710 #2,051
1911 historical 2,969 #1,750
1997 modern 2,999 #2,150
1998 modern 3,071 #2,187
1999 modern 3,097 #2,186
2000 modern 3,058 #2,202
2001 modern 2,966 #2,222
2002 modern 3,038 #2,219
2003 modern 2,963 #2,220
2004 modern 2,946 #2,225
2005 modern 2,896 #2,239
2006 modern 2,830 #2,297
2007 modern 2,878 #2,277
2008 modern 2,905 #2,271
2009 modern 2,962 #2,285
2010 modern 3,019 #2,291
2011 modern 3,010 #2,271
2012 modern 2,958 #2,261
2013 modern 3,024 #2,250
2014 modern 3,030 #2,262
2015 modern 3,004 #2,253
2016 modern 2,955 #2,279

Geography

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Where Dexters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Loughborough and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, Bolsover, South Kesteven and Charnwood. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Loughborough Leicestershire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire
2 Bolsover 002 Bolsover
3 South Kesteven 009 South Kesteven
4 Charnwood 018 Charnwood
5 Bolsover 003 Bolsover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dexter

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dexter surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dexter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dexter, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Dexter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dexter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dexter is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dexter is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dexter falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dexter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dexter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dexter

The surname Dexter originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "dexter," meaning "right-handed" or "fortunate." The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was particularly adept with their right hand or considered fortunate or skilled.

Dexter is a locational surname that may have originated from places named Dexter, such as the village of Dexter in Oxfordshire or the hamlet of Dexter in Devon. These place names are believed to have evolved from the Old English words "dexter" and "ora," meaning "right-hand shore" or "right-hand riverbank."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dexter appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as a place name in Somerset. This suggests that the surname was already in use at that time.

In the 13th century, a record from the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire mentions a person named William Dexter. Another early example is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which includes the name Robertus Dextere.

Notable individuals with the surname Dexter throughout history include Samuel Dexter (1761-1816), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of War and the United States Secretary of the Treasury under President John Adams. Henry Dexter (1822-1890) was an American clergyman and writer who authored several books on Congregationalism.

Other notable Dexters include Samuel Dexter (1700-1770), an English nonconformist minister and author; Benjamin Dexter (1768-1844), an American physician and author; and Henry Martyn Dexter (1821-1890), an American Congregationalist clergyman and author.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the surname such as Dextar, Dexytre, and Dextor were also recorded in various parish registers and historical documents across England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dexter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dexter surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Leicestershire leads with 440 Dexters recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.49x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 440 18.49x
Nottinghamshire 330 11.41x
Middlesex 185 0.86x
Derbyshire 166 4.94x
Rutland 159 100.91x
Northamptonshire 156 7.73x
Lincolnshire 89 2.59x
Yorkshire 84 0.40x
Surrey 83 0.79x
Warwickshire 75 1.39x
Norfolk 60 1.82x
Staffordshire 53 0.73x
Lancashire 50 0.20x
Essex 41 0.97x
Kent 26 0.36x
Cheshire 24 0.51x
Hampshire 21 0.48x
Worcestershire 20 0.71x
Huntingdonshire 15 3.52x
Berkshire 14 0.87x
Cambridgeshire 12 0.88x
Gloucestershire 12 0.29x
Durham 10 0.16x
Northumberland 10 0.31x
Wiltshire 10 0.53x
Bedfordshire 9 0.81x
Sussex 9 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.62x
Oxfordshire 7 0.53x
Cornwall 5 0.21x
Dorset 5 0.36x
Hertfordshire 5 0.34x
Monmouthshire 2 0.13x
Royal Navy 2 0.78x
Devon 1 0.02x
Shropshire 1 0.05x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 94 Dexters recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.56x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 94 12.56x
Leicester St Margaret 93 16.03x
Basford 78 58.51x
Sheepshed 66 202.39x
Loughborough 65 60.20x
Alfreton 52 50.95x
Oakham Lordshold 45 272.89x
Barrowden 30 680.27x
West Ham 30 3.21x
Bermondsey 28 4.38x
Ticknall 28 406.98x
Oakham Deanshold 27 384.07x
Radford 27 18.37x
Aston 23 1.54x
Melbourne 22 95.82x
Staines 20 58.86x
St Pancras London 19 1.10x
Kettering 18 22.05x
Selston 18 55.71x
Walsall Foreign 18 4.81x
Caldecott 16 733.95x
Great Bowden 15 69.32x
Hackney London 14 1.16x
Leicester Black Friars 14 90.38x
Birmingham 13 0.72x
Litchurch 13 9.61x
Camberwell 12 0.88x
Derby St Werburgh 12 6.19x
Easton 12 164.84x
Oldbury 12 8.70x
Peterborough 12 8.21x
Portsea 12 1.39x
Ruddington 12 61.89x
South Lynn 12 32.22x
Boston 11 10.57x
Ilkeston 11 11.68x
Leicester St Mary 11 5.72x
Manningham 11 4.20x
Nottingham St Nicholas 11 27.92x
Nottingham Standard 11 148.85x
Wymeswold 11 159.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 1.80x
Edmonton 10 5.78x
Leeds 10 0.83x
Lenton 10 14.68x
Mancetter 10 64.23x
Melton Mowbray 10 23.38x
Milton In Gravesend 10 9.11x
Paddington London 10 1.27x
Paston 10 116.55x
Sileby 10 66.62x
Thurcaston 10 606.06x
Ulceby 10 119.76x
Wellingborough 10 9.85x
West Bromwich 10 2.41x
Battersea 9 1.14x
Boothby Graffoe 9 731.71x
Clifton 9 4.23x
Corbridge 9 76.99x
Godmanchester 9 55.83x
Stoke 9 84.43x
Swindon 9 6.11x
Wombwell 9 14.51x
Alcester 8 44.82x
Bethnal Green London 8 0.86x
Bow London 8 2.93x
East Haddon 8 144.93x
Everton 8 0.99x
Hathern 8 82.99x
Islington London 8 0.38x
Leicester All Sts 8 17.12x
Luton 8 4.16x
Manchester 8 0.70x
Market Deeping 8 89.89x
Middlesbrough 8 2.89x
Oadby 8 62.75x
Shoreditch London 8 0.86x
Stockport 8 3.28x
Syston 8 35.92x
Willesden 8 3.95x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dexter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 152
Elizabeth 113
Sarah 93
Ann 43
Eliza 41
Emma 29
Jane 28
Alice 27
Annie 27
Ellen 25
Hannah 23
Fanny 22
Florence 21
Ada 20
Emily 20
Charlotte 17
Harriet 17
Maria 17
Edith 16
Kate 14
Martha 13
Caroline 12
Louisa 11
Clara 10
Anne 9
Margaret 9
Catherine 8
Minnie 8
Susan 8
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Lucy 7
Frances 6
Gertrude 6
Lizzie 6
Matilda 6
Rebecca 6
Sophia 6
Ethel 5
Julia 5
Mabel 5
Rose 5
Selina 5
Agnes 4
Amelia 4
Harriett 4
Laura 4
Maud 4
Ruth 4
Susannah 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dexter surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 164
William 145
George 105
Thomas 96
Joseph 41
Henry 39
James 38
Robert 32
Samuel 30
Arthur 28
Edward 28
Charles 22
Frederick 20
Harry 20
Walter 20
Alfred 18
Edwin 15
Richard 14
Francis 13
Frank 12
Albert 11
Ernest 11
Benjamin 9
Stephen 8
Herbert 7
Thos. 7
Tom 7
Job 6
Chas. 4
Elias 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Isaac 4
Leonard 4
Wm. 4
Edgar 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Matthew 3
Percy 3
Topley 3
Adam 2
Amos 2
David 2
Edwd. 2
Horace 2
Jesse 2
Lewis 2
Ralph 2
Spencer 2

FAQ

Dexter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dexter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,199 people were recorded with the Dexter surname. That placed it at #2,016 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dexter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,955 in 2016. That gives Dexter a modern rank of #2,279.

What does the Dexter surname mean?

One who dyes or one who is skilled at dyeing cloth or fabric.

What does the Dexter map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dexter bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.