Total births
595,076
Girls' name · since 1895
Pamela
Since 1895, U.S. Social Security records show 595,076 babies named Pamela, peaking in 1954. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2150
- among girls today
- 595,076
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Pamela is the #2150 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 595,076 recorded since 1895.
Pamela has 595,076 recorded births among girls since 1895, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2150 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #2150 among girls today
- 595,076 born since 1895
- 1950s peak decade
- 88% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Pamela is currently the #2150 girls' name in America, more common than 88% of girls - 595,076 born since 1895, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2150
- among girls today
- 595,076
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
Pamela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2150
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 88% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Pamela was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
27,361 babies were named Pamela in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Pamela compares
595,076 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Pamela's all-time total is 1,558x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pamela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 595,076 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 27,361 | 48 | 19,840 |
Pamela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pamela's SSA record in two at 1966 and the more recent half accounts for 27% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 73%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1954 peak of 27,361, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pamela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#2,150
Active since
1895
Pamela popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 27,361
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Pamela popularity over time - boys
1,386 total births recorded since 1941 (Pamela as boys' name)
Pamela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Pamela's strongest decade.
237,398 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Pamela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s 150
1910s
150 births
- 1920s 627
1920s
627 births
- 1930s 1,873
1930s
1,873 births
- 1940s 73,121
1940s
73,121 births
- 1950s
1950s
237,398 births
- 1960s
1960s
181,939 births
- 1970s 58,039
1970s
58,039 births
- 1980s 25,740
1980s
25,740 births
- 1990s 8,393
1990s
8,393 births
- 2000s 5,255
2000s
5,255 births
- 2010s 1,917
2010s
1,917 births
- 2020s 602
2020s
602 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 237,398 births (40% of all-time use).
How Pamela 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 Pamela's total volume
Pamela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Pamela by state
Where Pamela concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 47,392 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 37,537 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 36,708 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 35,551 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Texas | | 32,105 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 30,369 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 27,951 | 4.7% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 19,949 | 3.4% |
California share of Pamela's total US births 8.0%
Even split
47,392 of 595,076 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Pamela appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pamela? ▼
Since 1895, Social Security records show 595,076 babies named Pamela. Today it holds rank #2150 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1954, with 27,361 births.
When was Pamela most popular? ▼
Pamela was most popular in the 1950s decade with 237,398 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Pamela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pamela are California (47,392 births), Ohio (37,537 births), New York (36,708 births).
How long has the name Pamela been used? ▼
Records for Pamela go back to 1895, giving 131 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Pamela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pam, Pamala, Pamella, Pamelia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Pamela's data
- Pamela's decade-level peak was the 1950s (237,398 total births); usage has since declined to 602 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Pamelas (47,392 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pamela
Nearby Names Like Pamela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pamela
Pam Girl
33,125 births
Pamala Girl
7,357 births
Pamella Girl
3,166 births
Pamelia Girl
2,229 births
Pamla Girl
795 births
Compare Pamela side by side: Pamela vs Pam Pamela vs Pamala Pamela vs Pamella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pamela
Aaradhya #2149
1,037 births · Peak 2016
Toni #2151
100,198 births · Peak 1960
Huntleigh #2148
728 births · Peak 2020
Alex #2152
9,822 births · Peak 1995
Haizley #2147
917 births · Peak 2022
Bliss #2153
1,790 births · Peak 2023
Janyla #2146
2,269 births · Peak 2019
Jude #2154
3,024 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pamela: #2150 Girls' Name - 595,076 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pamela. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Pamela 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 June 2026.