BabyNameLens · Girl names · Boy names
“Coined by poet Philip Sidney for his 1590s poem Arcadia” — English (literary coinage) origin
Girl's name · #2251 in the US (2025) · Heirloom
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. Pamela's short forms are Pam, Pammy, and Pammie.
Around the world: about 1 in 6,700 girls in Sweden (2025) · about 1 in 17,000 girls in Switzerland (2024) · about 1 in 18,000 girls in Canada (2024).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 7 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
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.