Girls' name · since 1915
Pam
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 33,125 babies named Pam, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #785 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 33,125
- born since 1915
- 1960s
- peak decade
Pam is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 33,125 have been recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pam has been recorded 33,125 times among girls since 1915, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 1996.
- #785 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 33,125 born since 1915
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pam ranks #785 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 33,125 born since 1915, peaking in the 1960s.
- #785 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 33,125
- born since 1915
- 1960s
- peak decade
Pam's 33,125 recorded births place it above 98.91% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Pam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Pam splits its recorded history at 1961: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 3,677 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Pam popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–1996
- Peak year (1959)
- 3,677
- Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
Pam popularity over time - boys
23 total births recorded since 1957 (Pam as boys' name)
Pam by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (17,109 births, 52% of the file).
1960s was Pam's strongest decade.
17,109 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Pam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 7
1920s
7 births
- 1930s 116
1930s
116 births
- 1940s 3,357
1940s
3,357 births
- 1950s
1950s
11,235 births
- 1960s
1960s
17,109 births
- 1970s 1,126
1970s
1,126 births
- 1980s 144
1980s
144 births
- 1990s 26
1990s
26 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 17,109 births (52% of all-time use).
How Pam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Pam's total volume
Pam by state
Where Pam concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,189 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 2,206 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,984 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 1,786 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,752 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 1,211 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,115 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 1,078 | 3.3% |
3,189 of 33,125 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Pam appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pam? ▼
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What to do with Pam's data
- Pam's decade-level peak was the 1960s (17,109 total births); usage has since declined to 26 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Pams (3,189 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pam
Nearby Names Like Pam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pam
Compare Pam side by side: Pam vs Pamela Pam vs Pamala Pam vs Pamella
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~81 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–1996 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pam draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.