Total births
1,292
Girls' name · since 1981
Female
Female has 1,292 recorded births since 1981 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,292
- total births
- 1981–2015
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 63%
- born in that decade
Female is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,292 have been recorded since 1981.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Female has been recorded 1,292 times among girls since 1981, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2015.
- 1,292 total births
- 1981–2015 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 63% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,292 girls have been named Female since 1981, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2015.
- 1,292
- total births
- 1981–2015
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 63%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
63% of everyone ever named Female was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
157 babies were named Female in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
Female's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Female's SSA record in two at 1997 and the more recent half accounts for 29% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 71%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1981, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 157, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Female at a glance
Last recorded 2015Peak year
1990
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1981
Female popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2015
- Peak year (1990)
- 157
- Annual births at peak, across 35 years of records
Female popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1989 (Female as boys' name)
Female by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Female's strongest decade.
811 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 63% of all-time use.
Female births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 173
1980s
173 births
- 1990s
1990s
811 births
- 2000s 80
2000s
80 births
- 2010s 228
2010s
228 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 811 births (63% of all-time use).
How Female compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Female's total volume
Female vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Female by state
Where Female concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 760 | 58.8% |
| #2 | New Mexico | | 250 | 19.3% |
| #3 | Kansas | | 71 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 12 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 6 | 0.5% |
New York share of Female's total US births 58.8%
Even split
760 of 1,292 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Female? ▼
Female has been given to 1,292 babies in the U.S. since 1981, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2015. 157 babies were born in 1990, its single highest year.
When was Female most popular? ▼
Female was most popular in the 1990s decade with 811 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Female most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Female are New York (760 births), New Mexico (250 births), Kansas (71 births).
How long has the name Female been used? ▼
Female has been recorded in Social Security data since 1981, spanning 35 years of data through 2015.
What names are similar to Female? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Femi, Femke. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Female's data
- Female's decade-level peak was the 1990s (811 total births); usage has since declined to 228 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Females (760 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Female
Nearby Names Like Female
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Female
Compare Female side by side: Female vs Femi Female vs Femke
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1981–2015 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Female: Baby Name Since 1981 - 1,292 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/female. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Female draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.