Dexter is a surname that may be derived from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

word ''deagestre'', meaning "dyer of cloth". Dexter is also a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

term meaning "

skill A skill is the learned or innate ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. Some examples of gen ...

ful" or "right-handed". Notable people with the surname include: *

Al Dexter Clarence Albert Poindexter (May 4, 1905 – January 28, 1984), known best as Al Dexter, was an American country musician and songwriter. He is best known today for his most popular song, "Pistol Packin' Mama", a 1943 hit which was one of th ...

(1905–1984), American country musician and songwriter * Andrew Dexter Jr. (1779–1837), American financier and speculator *

Barrie Dexter Barrie Graham Dexter (15 July 1921
– 13 April 2018) was an Australian senior diplomat and public servant ...

(1921–2018), Australian former senior diplomat and public servant *

Brad Dexter Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film '' The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), and producing several fi ...

(1917–2002), Serbian-American actor * Brad Dexter (ice hockey) (born 1972), Canadian ice hockey defenceman *

Caroline Dexter Caroline Dexter (; 6 January 1819 – 19 August 1884), later known as Caroline Lynch, was an English-Australian dress reformer, writer, and feminist. Early life Dexter was born Caroline Harper in Nottingham, England on 6 January 1819, in. Her pa ...

(1819–1884), English-Australian writer and feminist * Charles O. Dexter (1862–1943), American rhododendron hybridizer *

Colin Dexter Norman Colin Dexter (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer known for his ''Inspector Morse'' series of novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV (TV network), ITV television series, ''Inspec ...

, OBE (1930–2017), English crime writer *

Darrell Dexter Darrell Elvin Dexter (born 1957) is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and former naval officer who served as the 27th premier of Nova Scotia from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party, he served as party leader from 2001 to ...

(born 1957), Canadian politician *

Elliott Dexter Elliott Dexter (March 29, 1870 – June 21, 1941) was an American film and stage actor. He started his career in vaudeville and did not move to films until he was 45. He retired from acting in 1925. Biography Dexter was born in Galveston, ...

(1870–1941), American film and stage actor * Felix Dexter (1961–2013), British actor, comedian, and writer * George E. Dexter (1823–1894), American politician in Wisconsin and Minnesota * Gervon Dexter (born 2001), American football player * Glen Dexter (born 1952), Canadian sailor *

Gregory Dexter Gregory Dexter (1610 – c. 1700) was a renowned printer of important and controversial books and pamphlets in London. In New England, he assumed various roles including serving as a consultant to printers, a Baptist minister, an owner of a lim ...

, Baptist minister and colonial president of the colony of Rhode Island (Providence and Warwick only) * Harry Dexter (1910–1973), English composer and arranger * Henry Martyn Dexter (1821–1890), American clergyman and author * Iris Dexter (1907–1974), Australian journalist and war correspondent * James Dexter (born 1973), American football offensive tackle * Jeff Dexter (born 1946), British disc jockey, club promoter, record producer and dancer *

Jerry Dexter Jerry Dexter (April 18, 1935 – June 21, 2013) was an American actor and radio presenter best known for playing teenage boys and young men in animated television series for Hanna-Barbera Productions from the late 1960s to the 1980s. Early life, ...

(1935–2013), American voice actor * Julie Dexter, British singer, songwriter and producer * Kristen Dexter (born 1961), American politician from Wisconsin *

Mark Dexter Mark Lee Dexter (born 21 April 1973) is an English actor who trained at RADA. Life and career Dexter was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. As a teenager, he was an early member of the Central Junior Television Workshop which led ...

(born 1973), English actor *

Maury Dexter Maury Dexter (born Morris Gene Poindexter; June 12, 1927 – May 28, 2017) was an American producer and director of film and TV. He worked several times for Robert L. Lippert and American International Pictures. Life and career Dexter was born i ...

(1927–2017), American producer and director *

Maxine Dexter Maxine Elizabeth Dexter (née Johnson, born December 5, 1972) is an American physician and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 3rd congressional district since 2025. The district includes most of Portland east of the Wil ...

(born 1972), American politician * Michael Dexter (born 1945), British haematologist * Nancy Dexter (1923–1983), Australian journalist * Neil Dexter (born 1984), South African-born English cricketer *

Pete Dexter Pete Dexter (born July 22, 1943) is an American novelist. He won the U.S. National Book Award in 1988 for his novel '' Paris Trout''. Early life and education Dexter was born in Pontiac, Michigan. His father died when Dexter was four and he ...

(born 1943), American novelist *

Sally Dexter Sally Julia Dexter is an English actress of stage and screen. She won the 1987 Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for '' Dalliance''. Her other West End stage credits include the musicals ''Oliver!'' (1994), '' Sister Act'' (2010) and ...

(born 1960), English actress of stage and screen * Samuel Dexter (1761–1816), American politician, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury * Simon Newton Dexter (1785–1862), New York merchant and politician *

Steven Dexter Steven Dexter (born August 26, 1962) is a theatre director and writer. Early life Dexter was born in South Africa, then he moved to London in 1984 and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. West End productions In 2003 he d ...

(born 1962), South African theatre director and writer *

Ted Dexter Edward Ralph Dexter, (15 May 1935 – 25 August 2021) was an England international cricketer. An aggressive middle-order batsman of ferocious power and a right-arm medium bowler, he captained Sussex and England in the early 1960s. He captain ...

(1935–2021), Sussex and English test cricketer *

Terry Dexter Terry Dexter is an American actress and contemporary R&B singer. Early life Dexter was born in Detroit, Michigan. She has a twin sister, and she describes her ethnicity simply as multiracial. Music career From the age of 9 to 14, Dexter was a ...

(born 1978), American contemporary R&B singer-songwriter, actress and multi-instrumentalist * Timothy Dexter (1748–1806), American businessman noted for his writing and eccentricity * Walter Dexter (disambiguation), multiple people

References

{{Reflist English-language surnames Occupational surnames Surnames of Old English origin

See also

References