Girls' name · since 1980
Special
Special has 344 recorded births since 1980 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1996 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #14,795 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 344
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
Special sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 344 recorded since 1980.
Social Security Administration records show Special recorded 344 times among girls since 1980, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2020.
- #14,795 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 344 born since 1980
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Special ranks #14,795 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 344 born since 1980, peaking in the 1990s.
- #14,795 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 344
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
Special's 344 recorded births place it above 79.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
Special's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Special splits its recorded history at 1995: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1982 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1996 peak of 23 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Special popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2020
- Peak year (1996)
- 23
- Annual births at peak, across 41 years of records
Special by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (173 births, 50% of the file).
1990s was Special's strongest decade.
173 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Special births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
90 births
- 1990s
1990s
173 births
- 2000s
2000s
70 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 173 births (50% of all-time use).
Special by state
Where Special concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 31 | 9.0% |
31 of 344 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Special's data
- Special's decade-level peak was the 1990s (173 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Specials (31 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Special
Nearby Names Like Special
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Special
Compare Special side by side: Special vs Spencer Special vs Spenser
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Special: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1996)
Similar record span (~40 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1980–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Special 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 August 2026.