Pamela
Girl name · #2242 in 2025 · Uniqueness 80/100
In 2025, 82 baby girls were named Pamela, placing it at #2242 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1399, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,951 girls born in 2025 was named Pamela.
The 130-year story
Pamela first appears in the Social Security records in 1895, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1954, when 27,361 girls were named Pamela — good for #12 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Pamela per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pamela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pamela in class?
Pamela scores 80 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Pamela will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Pamela is most common
Geography matters for names, and Pamela is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Pamelas were CA (12), TX (10), FL (7), NY (7), IL (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Pamela
Statistically, parents drawn to Pamela tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Marla, Sheila, Debora, Roberta, and Paula.
MarlaSheilaDeboraRobertaPaulaPatriciaDonnaDianna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Pamela | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 | #2239 |
| 2024 | 88 | #2150 |
| 2023 | 102 | #1934 |
| 2022 | 95 | #2034 |
| 2021 | 112 | #1801 |
| 2020 | 123 | #1668 |
| 2019 | 146 | #1495 |
| 2018 | 136 | #1585 |
| 2017 | 155 | #1451 |
| 2016 | 184 | #1300 |
| 2015 | 167 | #1399 |
| 2014 | 185 | #1289 |
| 2013 | 205 | #1171 |
| 2012 | 215 | #1148 |
| 2011 | 266 | #961 |
| 2010 | 258 | #983 |
| 2009 | 331 | #842 |
| 2008 | 455 | #671 |
| 2007 | 516 | #582 |
| 2006 | 568 | #532 |
| 2005 | 457 | #618 |
| 2004 | 540 | #527 |
| 2003 | 673 | #446 |
| 2002 | 530 | #517 |
| 2001 | 578 | #483 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Pamela a popular girl name?
Pamela ranked #2242 among girls in 2025 with 82 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1399.
When was the name Pamela most popular?
Pamela peaked in 1954, when 27,361 American girls received the name (ranked #12 that year). Since 1954 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Pamela?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,951 newborn American girls was named Pamela. It scores 80/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.