Pamela
English · Girl · 3 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Pamela
Pamela is a literary invention created by Sir Philip Sidney in his 1590 work "Arcadia," derived from the Greek elements "pan" (all) and "melos" (honey or sweetness), meaning "all sweetness." The name became popular in English-speaking cultures, particularly among Christian societies, gaining widespread use after the 1741 publication of Samuel Richardson's novel "Pamela," which popularized it as a given name for girls.
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Etymology
Pamela is a literary invention created by Sir Philip Sidney in his 1590 work "Arcadia," derived from the Greek elements "pan" (all) and "melos" (honey or sweetness), meaning "all sweetness." The name became popular in English-speaking cultures, particularly among Christian societies, gaining widespread use after the 1741 publication of Samuel Richardson's novel "Pamela," which popularized it as a given name for girls.
Pamela currently ranks #2,251 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1954.
Variants & nicknames
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Sibling name ideas
English names that sit beautifully beside PamelaSimilar names you might like
Names starting with PMore names starting with P
- Patrice
- Paresh
- Parvin
- Parveen
- Parth
- Paschal
- Paolo
- Pal
- Patrycia
- Pat
- Palak
- Palmer
- Patsy
- Pardeep
- Paulin
- Paulette
- Padraic
- Paulene
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Names that sound like Pamela
Phonetic match, not just spelling"The name 'Pinal' is of Sanskrit origin, meaning "lotus" or "sacred thread," derived from the root *pinala* or *pīna* (referring…"
"Peniel means "face of God" and derives from Hebrew, combining "pnei" (face) and "El" (God)."
"Penielle is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name Peninnah, meaning "pearl" or "coral," combining the Hebrew root…"
"Pannalal is a Sanskrit-derived name combining "panna" (emerald/leaf) and "lal" (beloved/red), meaning "beloved emerald" or "red leaf," with roots in…"
"Pamella is a variant spelling of Pamela, which derives from the Greek elements "pan" (all) and "melos" (honey), literally meaning…"
"Phanuel means "face of God" or "God's face," derived from the Hebrew elements "panim" (face) and "El" (God)."
"Penola is derived from the Greek name Penelope, meaning "weaver" or "duck," from the elements "pene" (thread/weaver) and "ops" (face/eye),…"
"Penuel derives from Hebrew "Penu'el" (פְנוּאֵל), combining "penei" (face) and "El" (God), meaning "face of God." The name originates from…"
"Pamalla is a variant of Pamela, which derives from the Greek name Pamela, coined by poet Sir Philip Sidney in…"
"Penella means "head" or "chief" and derives from the Cornish element "pen" (head) combined with a diminutive suffix, reflecting Celtic…"
"Pammela is a variant spelling of Pamela, which derives from the Greek elements "pan" (all) and "mela" (honey), literally meaning…"
"Pamalia is a rare modern name likely derived from Greek elements, possibly combining "pam-" (all) with a suffix like "-alia,"…"