Pamela
Meaning
all honey
Goes by Pam, Pammy
Famously borne by P.L. Travers, born Helen Goff, who chose it as a young actress simply for its sound.
In literature since at least 1593: The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia (Philip Sidney), 1593 edition.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Pamela peaked in the 1950s.
Popularity in Brazil
138,902 people · the #243 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,462 · median age 25
Among people named Pamela living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 2,439 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Pamela
People given the name Pamela in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1979. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Pamela deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Pamela truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Pamela fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Nicknames for Pamela · English-Brazilian names · Pen names and the names writers chose
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