Pamela
Pamela is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
All sweetness or sweetness and honey.
Origin and history
Pamela is an English literary name created by the 16th-century poet Sir Philip Sidney for his prose romance Arcadia. It gained widespread popularity in the 18th century following Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela. In the United States, it became immensely popular in the mid-20th century and remains a classic, recognizable female name.
Popularity in the United States
595,076 babies in the United States have been named Pamela since 1880. It ranks #45 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1502.
States where it is most popular
- CA (8 %)
- OH (6.3 %)
- NY (6.2 %)
- IL (6 %)
- TX (5.4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 11 |
| 1900-1910 | 11 |
| 1910-1920 | 150 |
| 1920-1930 | 627 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,873 |
| 1940-1950 | 73,121 |
| 1950-1960 | 237,398 |
| 1960-1970 | 181,939 |
| 1970-1980 | 58,039 |
| 1980-1990 | 25,740 |
| 1990-2000 | 8,393 |
| 2000-2010 | 5,255 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,917 |
| 2020-2029 | 602 |
Famous people named Pamela
- Pamela Anderson: Actress, Model
- Pamela Reed: Actress
- Pamela Adlon: Actress, Voice Actress
Nicknames
Pam, Pammy
Fun facts
- The name Pamela was invented by Sir Philip Sidney in 1580 for his epic work Arcadia.
- Originally pronounced with the stress on the second syllable (pa-MEE-la), the accent shifted to the first syllable over time.
- Pamela was a top 10 name for girls in the United States during the 1950s.