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Pamela Name Meaning, Origins & History

Pamela

Pronunciation: PAM-uh-luh

Meaning All-honey Origin coinages Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#2,251
TREND
90
Peak Years
1954, 1956, 1955
Lowest Years
1895, 1910, 1904
Energy Archetype
Intellectual & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Pamela in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Pamela

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Pamela appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 39 years. Its last run lasted 5 consecutive years, from 1979 through 1983.
  • More than 596 thousand babies named Pamela: U.S. records list 596,460 babies given the name Pamela from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,386 boys received the name Pamela - about 1 boy for every 429 girls.

What Does the Name Pamela Mean?

Pamela is commonly explained as meaning "all sweetness" or "all honey," from the Greek pan ("all") and meli ("honey"). This explanation treats the name as a compound of Greek words rather than as an inherited Greek personal name; it is the derivation given in most name dictionaries, but it is a reading of the name's parts, not something documented in ancient Greek naming. A competing suggestion pairs pan with melos ("song"), and some older references compared the name with Pamphila, a Greek name built on philos ("loving"). Neither alternative has much support, and which word lies behind the second element is uncertain. The familiar meaning therefore reflects a customary interpretation rather than a settled etymology.

Pamela Name History & Origins

The name Pamela is best known from English literature. Its most prominent early use is in Sir Philip Sidney's pastoral romance Arcadia, written in the 1580s and published in 1590, where Pamela is a princess, the daughter of King Basilius and Queen Gynecia. The Greek-looking form fits the pastoral setting of the work, and reference works have long connected the name to Greek words for "all" and "honey." What is documented is the name's appearance in Arcadia; the precise reason Sidney chose it, and whether he assembled it from Greek elements himself, is not recorded.

In the eighteenth century the name appeared in Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), an epistolary story about a young servant who resists her employer's advances and eventually marries him. The book was widely read and imitated in Britain and on the Continent, and Pamela was an established English given name by the nineteenth century. It is also used in several other European languages, including German, Italian, and Polish, and the short form Pam is common in English.

How Popular is the Name Pamela?

Pamela ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1943 through 1976, then returned in 1979 and remained through 1983.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Famous People Named Pamela

Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson

Explore Name Lists Featuring Pamela

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Most Popular Girl Names at All Time

Most Popular Girl Names of All Time

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Past Favorite Girl Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Pamela Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Pamela's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pamela's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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