Pamela

Meaning: Not established
Origin: Fictional coinage — Coined by Sir Philip Sidney for his poem Arcadia

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.

#322 in Mexico (2024) · #451 in Poland (2025) · #699 in Sweden (2025) · #854 in Ecuador (2025) · #1,494 in Italy (2024) · #2,605 in England & Wales (2025) · #3,242 in Austria (2025) · #6,480 in France (2025) · #257 in Puerto Rico (2024) · #2,975 in Canada (2024) · #680 in Scotland (2018) · #873 in Ireland (2017) and 5 more.

Famous Pamelas

Pamela Anderson — Canadian-American actress and model (born 1967)
Pamela Melroy — American astronaut and USAF officer (born 1961)
Pamela Adlon — American actress (born 1966)
Pamela Jelimo — Kenyan middle-distance runner (born 1989)
Pamela Bach — American actress (1962–2025)

In stories & tradition

Pamela (Poison Ivy) — DC Comics character
Pamela Voorhees — Fictional character in the Friday the 13th series
Pamela (Pam Beesly) — Fictional character on NBC's "The Office"

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-American 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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