Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage English Pronounced Pron. DEHK-stər [key·IPA] Meaning & History Occupational name meaning "dyer" in Old English (originally this was a feminine word, but it was later applied to men as well). Related NamesDetails VariantDyerGiven Name DescendantDexter(English) Categories clothing, colors, craftsmanship, ends in -er, matronymics, The Dukes of Hazzard characters, vaudevillians