Pamela

Origin: English — Coined by poet Philip Sidney for his 1590s poem Arcadia · literary coinage

Nicknames: Pam, Pammy, Pammie

Girl's name · #2251 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Pamela belongs to an older America first — it reached #10 back in 1953 — yet it still appears in today's records at #2251. About 595,000 girls have carried it since 1895.

Across the states

See where Pamela is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 7 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Pamela ranks in other countries and regions.

#451 in Poland (2025) · #576 in Mexico (2024) · #699 in Sweden (2025) · #854 in Ecuador (2025) · #2,732 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,634 in Canada (2024).

Famous Pamelas

Pamela Anderson — Canadian actress and model (born 1967)
Pamela Melroy — American astronaut
Pamela Adlon — American actress
Pamela Jelimo — Kenyan middle distance runner
Pamela Colman Smith — British occultist, artist and illustrator (1878–1951)

In stories & tradition

Pamela (Poison Ivy) — Batman (comics)
Pamela Voorhees — Friday the 13th (film)
Pamela (Pam Beesly) — The Office (TV series)

What Pamelas become

Among 1,197 notable people named Pamela:

Entertainers appear 1.51× more often than among typical names — e.g. Pamela Anderson, Canadian actress and model (born 1967).

Similar names: Marla · Paula · Sheila · Melinda · Aribella · Janyla

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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