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Name Lineage

    The first name Pamela

    A girl’s name meaning “all”, “honey”.

    Pronounced /ˈpæmələ/ 3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Pamela means “all”, “honey”.

    Invented by Sir Philip Sidney for his pastoral poem The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia (c 1593). Seemingly created from scratch; some imagine an analysis as Ancient Greek πᾶς (pâs, “all”) + μέλι (méli, “honey”) but there is no evidence that this was intended.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 10 girls were named Pamela, making it the 2,605th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 24 births (#891).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    363
    babies named Pamela, 1996–2025
    #2,605
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Pamela with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Pamela at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 82 girls born in the United States were named Pamela, the 2,251st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 27,361 were.

    015,00030,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    596,462
    babies named Pamela since 1880
    #2,251
    rank in 2025
    1954
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Pamela

    • Pammy
    • Pam
    • Pammie

    Other spellings and forms

    • Pammela

    Famous people named Pamela

    69 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Pamela Anderson
      Canadian actress and model (born 1967)
    • Pamela Melroy
      American astronaut, born 1961
    • Pamela Adlon
      American actress, born 1966
    • Pamela Colman Smith
      British occultist, artist and illustrator (1878–1951)
    • Pamela Reed
      American actress, born 1949
    • Pamela Sue Martin
      American actress, born 1953
    • Pamela Bach
      American actress (1963–2025)
    • Pamela Tiffin
      American actress and model (1942–2020)
    • Pamela Geller
      American far-right activist, blogger, commentator and conspiracy theorist, born 1958
    • Pamela Rendi-Wagner
      Austrian physician and politician (born 1971)
    • Pamela Bellwood
      American actress, born 1951
    • Pamela C. Rasmussen
      American ornithologist, born 1959

    Questions

    What does the name Pamela mean?
    Pamela means “all”, “honey”.
    How popular is the name Pamela?
    In 2025, 10 girls born in England and Wales were named Pamela, ranking 2,605th. Its peak was 1996, with 24 births.
    What are nicknames for Pamela?
    Common nicknames for Pamela include Pammy, Pam, Pammie.
    Is Pamela a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 596,462 US babies named Pamela since 1880 were girls.
    When was Pamela most popular?
    1954 in the United States, when 27,361 babies were named Pamela, its highest rank at 12th.
    How do you pronounce Pamela?
    Pamela is /ˈpæmələ/, 3 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Pamela?
    Pammela.