Pamela
How to say it: PAM-uh-luh · /ˈpæmələ/
Coined by 16th-century poet Philip Sidney, possibly from Greek 'pan' (all) + 'meli' (honey), meaning 'all sweetness'.
Pamela was the 1,701st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 82 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1950s, its births are down about 49% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,169 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,701 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 82 |
| Share of births | 1 in 40,431 |
| Peak decade | 1950s |
| Change over 10 years | −49% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,169 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Pamela peaked in the 1950s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Pamela is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Pamela
- Pamela Anderson (born 1967)Canadian actress and model
- Pamela Melroy (born 1961)American astronaut
- Pamela Adlon (born 1966)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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