Pamela
#2,239 for girls in 2025, 82 births · Last seen for boys in 2004 at #11,356
Given to girls 99.8% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1953 · 25,760 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 39 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 595,076since 1895
Pamela over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #2,239 | 82 | — | |
| 2024 | #2,150 | 88 | — | |
| 2023 | #1,934 | 102 | — | |
| 2022 | #2,034 | 95 | — | |
| 2021 | #1,801 | 112 | — | |
| 2020 | #1,668 | 123 | — | |
| 2019 | #1,495 | 146 | — | |
| 2018 | #1,585 | 136 | — | |
| 2017 | #1,451 | 155 | — | |
| 2016 | #1,300 | 184 | — | |
| 2015 | #1,399 | 167 | — | |
| 2014 | #1,289 | 185 | — | |
| 2013 | #1,171 | 205 | — | |
| 2012 | #1,148 | 215 | — | |
| 2011 | #961 | 266 | — | |
| 2010 | #983 | 258 | — | |
| 2009 | #842 | 331 | — | |
| 2008 | #671 | 455 | — | |
| 2007 | #582 | 516 | — | |
| 2006 | #532 | 568 | — | |
| 2005 | #618 | 457 | — | |
| 2004 | #527 | 540 | #11,356 | 5 |
| 2003 | #446 | 673 | — | |
| 2002 | #517 | 530 | — | |
| 2001 | #483 | 578 | — | |
| 2000 | #457 | 607 | — | |
| 1999 | #421 | 655 | #9,912 | 5 |
| 1998 | #388 | 714 | — | |
| 1997 | #359 | 770 | — | |
| 1996 | #341 | 814 | — | |
| 1995 | #385 | 687 | — | |
| 1994 | #352 | 748 | — | |
| 1993 | #324 | 806 | #6,816 | 7 |
| 1992 | #301 | 920 | #8,435 | 5 |
| 1991 | #259 | 1,085 | #6,519 | 7 |
| 1990 | #238 | 1,194 | #4,673 | 11 |
| 1989 | #199 | 1,331 | #4,271 | 12 |
| 1988 | #184 | 1,510 | #5,751 | 7 |
| 1987 | #153 | 1,784 | #3,959 | 11 |
| 1986 | #138 | 2,016 | #5,332 | 7 |
| 1985 | #116 | 2,468 | #3,805 | 11 |
| 1984 | #104 | 2,642 | #4,552 | 8 |
| 1983 | #91 | 3,029 | #3,884 | 10 |
| 1982 | #82 | 3,546 | #2,831 | 16 |
| 1981 | #76 | 3,881 | #3,412 | 12 |
| 1980 | #86 | 3,533 | #4,940 | 7 |
| 1979 | #90 | 3,365 | #3,168 | 13 |
| 1978 | #109 | 2,690 | #4,157 | 8 |
| 1977 | #102 | 2,830 | #2,910 | 14 |
| 1976 | #84 | 3,364 | #2,245 | 20 |
| 1975 | #70 | 4,177 | #2,450 | 17 |
| 1974 | #54 | 5,272 | #2,050 | 21 |
| 1973 | #47 | 5,813 | #2,036 | 20 |
| 1972 | #34 | 7,472 | #1,966 | 21 |
| 1971 | #28 | 10,149 | #1,272 | 43 |
| 1970 | #26 | 12,907 | #1,159 | 51 |
| 1969 | #24 | 13,355 | #989 | 60 |
| 1968 | #20 | 14,031 | #1,206 | 40 |
| 1967 | #17 | 15,368 | #1,043 | 49 |
| 1966 | #15 | 16,249 | #1,216 | 38 |
| 1965 | #12 | 17,467 | #1,271 | 36 |
| 1964 | #11 | 19,823 | #1,219 | 40 |
| 1963 | #14 | 20,593 | #947 | 63 |
| 1962 | #13 | 21,270 | #1,311 | 35 |
| 1961 | #15 | 21,691 | #1,136 | 48 |
| 1960 | #14 | 22,092 | #1,058 | 53 |
| 1959 | #12 | 24,714 | #1,265 | 38 |
| 1958 | #11 | 25,279 | #1,001 | 58 |
| 1957 | #12 | 25,015 | #1,100 | 48 |
| 1956 | #12 | 26,928 | #1,193 | 41 |
| 1955 | #12 | 26,690 | #1,219 | 38 |
| 1954 | #12 | 27,361 | #1,227 | 37 |
| 1953 | #10 | 25,760 | #1,331 | 32 |
| 1952 | #17 | 20,879 | #1,347 | 31 |
| 1951 | #16 | 18,570 | #1,430 | 27 |
| 1950 | #17 | 16,202 | #1,395 | 27 |
| 1949 | #21 | 15,132 | #1,544 | 23 |
| 1948 | #22 | 14,281 | #1,378 | 28 |
| 1947 | #28 | 12,398 | #1,394 | 28 |
| 1946 | #34 | 9,367 | #1,409 | 25 |
| 1945 | #42 | 6,169 | #1,852 | 14 |
| 1944 | #44 | 6,204 | #1,400 | 23 |
| 1943 | #54 | 4,839 | #1,529 | 21 |
| 1942 | #106 | 2,632 | #2,523 | 9 |
| 1941 | #155 | 1,468 | #2,872 | 7 |
| 1940 | #251 | 631 | — | |
| 1939 | #347 | 337 | — | |
| 1938 | #369 | 314 | — | |
| 1937 | #399 | 264 | — | |
| 1936 | #434 | 220 | — | |
| 1935 | #458 | 194 | — | |
| 1934 | #535 | 147 | — | |
| 1933 | #629 | 108 | — | |
| 1932 | #692 | 96 | — | |
| 1931 | #667 | 99 | — | |
| 1930 | #717 | 94 | — | |
| 1929 | #666 | 110 | — | |
| 1928 | #703 | 100 | — | |
| 1927 | #911 | 67 | — | |
| 1926 | #843 | 76 | — | |
| 1925 | #861 | 75 | — | |
| 1924 | #1,096 | 51 | — | |
| 1923 | #1,076 | 50 | — | |
| 1922 | #1,269 | 38 | — | |
| 1921 | #1,409 | 33 | — | |
| 1920 | #1,584 | 27 | — | |
| 1919 | #1,745 | 22 | — | |
| 1918 | #2,029 | 18 | — | |
| 1917 | #1,996 | 17 | — | |
| 1916 | #2,498 | 12 | — | |
| 1915 | #1,571 | 22 | — | |
| 1914 | #1,896 | 13 | — | |
| 1913 | #1,465 | 16 | — | |
| 1912 | #1,297 | 17 | — | |
| 1911 | #1,792 | 8 | — | |
| 1910 | #2,398 | 5 | — | |
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | — | |
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | #1,877 | 5 | — | |
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | #1,502 | 6 | — | |
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | #1,592 | 5 | — | |
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1895
The first year at least five girls were named Pamela! It came in at #1,592, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1895–1897, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.
Where Pamela is popular in 1936
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Washington#186 · 1 in 1,177
- Connecticut#195 · 1 in 1,539
- Massachusetts#215 · 1 in 2,476
- New Jersey#253 · 1 in 2,612
- California#276 · 1 in 1,938
Best ever in a state: #3 in West Virginia, 1959.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | #186 | 8 | 1 in 1,177 |
| Connecticut | #195 | 6 | 1 in 1,539 |
| Massachusetts | #215 | 11 | 1 in 2,476 |
| New Jersey | #253 | 9 | 1 in 2,612 |
| California | #276 | 19 | 1 in 1,938 |
| Minnesota | #298 | 6 | 1 in 3,313 |
| New York | #303 | 25 | 1 in 3,276 |
| Illinois | #316 | 16 | 1 in 3,159 |
| Ohio | #316 | 13 | 1 in 3,608 |
| Wisconsin | #335 | 5 | 1 in 4,545 |
| Indiana | #368 | 5 | 1 in 4,638 |
| Pennsylvania | #396 | 12 | 1 in 5,921 |
| Kentucky | #440 | 5 | 1 in 5,146 |
| Louisiana | #456 | 5 | 1 in 4,095 |
| Michigan | #476 | 5 | 1 in 7,753 |
| Texas | #622 | 9 | 1 in 6,099 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Pamela
Momentum · girls
Falling
- 89 spots since 2024 (#2,150 → #2,239)
- 571 spots since 2020 (#1,668 → #2,239)
- 840 spots since 2015 (#1,399 → #2,239)
- Biggest jump: 235 spots in 1925 (#1,096 → #861)
- Biggest drop: 187 spots in 2012 (#961 → #1,148)
Rise & fade · girls
58 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1895
- Peaked 1953 at #10 (25,760 births)
- Births halved by 1971, 18 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 1 yr
- Top 10: 1 yr · 1953
- Top 100: 39 yrs · run 1943–1976
- Top 1,000: 87 yrs · run 1925–2011
Share of babies · girls
1 in 71
- Highest: 1 in 71 girls born in 1954 were named Pamela (1.4%)
- Latest: 1 in 19,601 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #10 in 1953, was only 1 in 73 (1.4%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1950s
- 39.9% of all girls named Pamela (237,398) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 11 | #1,502 (1898) | #1,547 |
| 1900s | 11 | #1,727 (1906) | #1,802 |
| 1910s | 150 | #1,297 (1912) | #1,869 |
| 1920s | 627 | #666 (1929) | #1,042 |
| 1930s | 1,873 | #347 (1939) | #525 |
| 1940s | 73,121 | #21 (1949) | #76 |
| 1950s | 237,398 | #10 (1953) | #13 |
| 1960s | 181,939 | #11 (1964) | #16 |
| 1970s | 58,039 | #26 (1970) | #64 |
| 1980s | 25,740 | #76 (1981) | #123 |
| 1990s | 8,393 | #238 (1990) | #337 |
| 2000s | 5,255 | #446 (2003) | #568 |
| 2010s | 1,917 | #961 (2011) | #1,278 |
| 2020s | 602 | #1,668 (2020) | #1,971 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Pamela in 1936
girls
#434
220 births · 1 in 4,729 girls
Top girls' names in 1936
More about 1936
girls
1,040,390 girls got a published name in 1936; 1 in 4,729 of them was named Pamela, which outranked 91.1% of the 4,856 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Pamela
Biggest movers since 1935
Risers
Fallers
- ↓ 1,028Norita#713 → #1,741
- ↓ 506Vernetta#974 → #1,480
- ↓ 461Ozella#984 → #1,445
- ↓ 400Shirleyann#896 → #1,296
- ↓ 342Idell#925 → #1,267
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.