Thirty years of Dexter
Dexter in numbers
Dexter peaked in 2013 with 1,019 boys and has fallen since, to 346 in 2025. Its biggest three-year rise came between 2008 and 2011, from 275 to 833. It ranked 406th in 1996, reached 63rd in 2013 and ranks 154th now. On average it was given to 54 boys a year in the late 1990s, 145 in the 2000s, 808 in the 2010s and 372 in the 2020s so far.
† Shapes, averages and turning points are Baby Data calculations from the ONS counts.
Milestones
First year in each bandChange
- On last year-9%381 to 346
- 5 years-23%450 to 346
- 10 years-59%850 to 346
- 20 years+217%109 to 346
- Since 1996×751 to 346
- Total, 1996 to 202511,973boys
† All changes and totals are Baby Data calculations from ONS counts. A total adds only the published years.
Across the three nations, 2025
Each from its own statistics office, never added togetherRank 154 · ONS · 381 in 2024
Rank 647 · NRS · 8 in 2024
Fewer than 3 babies, or not published · NISRA
England and Wales (ONS) count births in the calendar year; Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland (NISRA) count births registered in the year. Each comes from its own statistics office and they are never added together.
Year by year, 1996 to 2025 Show all 30 yearsHide the table
| Year | Rank | Babies | Change† | 1 in X† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 154 | 346 | -9% | 1 in 869 |
| 2024 | 143 | 381 | +30% | 1 in 800 |
| 2023 | =174 | 294 | -12% | 1 in 1,031 |
| 2022 | =156 | 335 | -22% | 1 in 927 |
| 2021 | 133 | 427 | -5% | 1 in 750 |
| 2020 | 124 | 450 | -17% | 1 in 699 |
| 2019 | 114 | 542 | -20% | 1 in 607 |
| 2018 | 95 | 676 | -14% | 1 in 499 |
| 2017 | =86 | 788 | -5% | 1 in 442 |
| 2016 * | 83 | 831 | -2% | 1 in 429 |
| 2015 | 79 | 850 | -6% | 1 in 421 |
| 2014 | 73 | 908 | -11% | 1 in 393 |
| 2013 | 63 | 1,019 | +7% | 1 in 352 |
| 2012 | 70 | 955 | +15% | 1 in 392 |
| 2011 | 78 | 833 | +23% | 1 in 445 |
| 2010 | 98 | 676 | +42% | 1 in 549 |
| 2009 | 125 | 476 | +73% | 1 in 761 |
| 2008 | 179 | 275 | +58% | 1 in 1,320 |
| 2007 | =240 | 174 | +35% | 1 in 2,037 |
| 2006 | =279 | 129 | +18% | 1 in 2,654 |
| 2005 | =295 | 109 | +60% | 1 in 3,033 |
| 2004 | =408 | 68 | -9% | 1 in 4,828 |
| 2003 | =365 | 75 | +29% | 1 in 4,246 |
| 2002 | =397 | 58 | +12% | 1 in 5,277 |
| 2001 | =416 | 52 | +68% | 1 in 5,858 |
| 2000 | =596 | 31 | -47% | 1 in 9,987 |
| 1999 | =387 | 58 | -13% | 1 in 5,504 |
| 1998 | =351 | 67 | +72% | 1 in 4,864 |
| 1997 | =484 | 39 | -24% | 1 in 8,450 |
| 1996 | =406 | 51 | 1 in 6,539 |
* ONS’s boys’ 2016 file repeats the October total as September, so the 2016 births total is about 932 too low and 1 in X for 2016 is slightly too low. Rank follows ONS: names with the same count share a rank (shown with =). “Under 3” means the name was given to fewer than 3 babies that year, so ONS did not publish it.
Compare Dexter
Draws the second name on the chart above, on a shared scale.
Share and download
Dexter is in the free dataset (CSV and JSON), with the method and how to cite it.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; National Records of Scotland; NISRA. Exact spellings are counted separately and names given to fewer than 3 babies are not published. Figures marked † are Baby Data calculations. How we calculate