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
- 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
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | — | — | ||
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 1981
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Alabama#35 · 1 in 178
- Mississippi#39 · 1 in 196
- Georgia#41 · 1 in 199
- South Carolina#46 · 1 in 209
- North Carolina#48 · 1 in 222
Best ever in a state: #3 in West Virginia, 1959.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | #35 | 128 | 1 in 178 |
| Mississippi | #39 | 81 | 1 in 196 |
| Georgia | #41 | 175 | 1 in 199 |
| South Carolina | #46 | 86 | 1 in 209 |
| North Carolina | #48 | 149 | 1 in 222 |
| Virginia | #48 | 122 | 1 in 246 |
| Kentucky | #54 | 90 | 1 in 265 |
| Tennessee | #54 | 114 | 1 in 245 |
| Arkansas | #57 | 50 | 1 in 254 |
| District of Columbia | #57 | 24 | 1 in 241 |
| New Jersey | #61 | 125 | 1 in 298 |
| New Mexico | #63 | 33 | 1 in 282 |
| West Virginia | #68 | 34 | 1 in 339 |
| Wisconsin | #68 | 89 | 1 in 350 |
| Louisiana | #72 | 88 | 1 in 348 |
| Pennsylvania | #72 | 206 | 1 in 337 |
| Delaware | #73 | 11 | 1 in 273 |
| Massachusetts | #73 | 90 | 1 in 351 |
| Texas | #75 | 317 | 1 in 390 |
| Nevada | #77 | 14 | 1 in 312 |
| Florida | #78 | 141 | 1 in 384 |
| Maryland | #78 | 57 | 1 in 368 |
| Rhode Island | #78 | 13 | 1 in 342 |
| South Dakota | #79 | 14 | 1 in 321 |
| Connecticut | #80 | 40 | 1 in 385 |
| Illinois | #80 | 196 | 1 in 383 |
| New York | #80 | 255 | 1 in 397 |
| Missouri | #83 | 78 | 1 in 411 |
| Ohio | #85 | 172 | 1 in 420 |
| Indiana | #86 | 78 | 1 in 447 |
| Michigan | #86 | 128 | 1 in 458 |
| Nebraska | #86 | 28 | 1 in 389 |
| Alaska | #92 | 9 | 1 in 327 |
| Minnesota | #97 | 57 | 1 in 510 |
| Arizona | #98 | 42 | 1 in 475 |
| Iowa | #100 | 38 | 1 in 511 |
| Maine | #101 | 14 | 1 in 449 |
| Hawaii | #102 | 12 | 1 in 405 |
| Kansas | #103 | 34 | 1 in 455 |
| Oklahoma | #104 | 44 | 1 in 457 |
| Colorado | #112 | 38 | 1 in 547 |
| North Dakota | #115 | 9 | 1 in 543 |
| New Hampshire | #116 | 10 | 1 in 535 |
| Vermont | #119 | 5 | 1 in 528 |
| Idaho | #127 | 13 | 1 in 528 |
| Washington | #135 | 41 | 1 in 673 |
| Montana | #141 | 8 | 1 in 593 |
| Oregon | #152 | 23 | 1 in 738 |
| Wyoming | #155 | 5 | 1 in 657 |
| Utah | #158 | 22 | 1 in 733 |
| California | #160 | 231 | 1 in 785 |
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
- 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)
- Debuted 1895
- Peaked 1953 at #10 (25,760 births)
- Births halved by 1971, 18 yrs later
- Top 10: 1 yr · 1953
- Top 100: 39 yrs · run 1943–1976
- Top 1,000: 87 yrs · run 1925–2011
- 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
- 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 1981
Top girls' names in 1981
Top boys' names in 1981
More about 1981
girls
1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 430 of them was named Pamela, which outranked 99.4% of the 12,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 149,265 of them was named Pamela, which outranked 53.2% of the 7,289 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #3,221Wynn13
- #3,221Yale13
- #3,221Yohance13
- #3,412Pamela12
- #3,412Adriana12
- #3,412Adriano12
- #3,412Agustine12
- #3,601Aamir11
- #3,601Abdulrahman11
- #3,601Abrahan11
Tied with 188 names at #3,412; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.