Pamela
Girl name · #2242 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Pamela? In official American birth records, Pamela has been tracked continuously since 1895, giving it 130 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pamela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pamela in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Pamela is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". 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
State-level data for Pamela is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Pamela?
In official American birth records, the name Pamela first appeared in 1895 (over 130 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.