Pam
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "all" or "everything".
Name Census estimates that about 24,961 living Americans carry the first name Pam. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pam today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pam births was 1959 (3,677 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pam. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Pam is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pams were born before 1970.
- • Compared to the 1960s, recent registration numbers for Pam have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
25K
~ 1 in 13,732 Americans
Peak year
1959
3,677 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1962 SSA rank
#3,545
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Pam
Out of the 33,148 babies given the name Pam since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Pam as a male name
- Ranked #3,545 in 1962
- 7 male births in 1962
- Peak: 1960 (10 births)
Pam as a female name
- Ranked #15,216 in 1996
- 5 female births in 1996
- Peak: 1959 (3,677 births)
Popularity
Pam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pam from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 17,126 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pam by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Ohio, Texas recorded the most babies named Pam, while Hawaii, Delaware, New Hampshire recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 614 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pam
The name Pam is a short form of the female name Pamela, which has its origins in the Greek language. Pamela is derived from the Greek words "pam" meaning "all" and "melos" meaning "honey" or "sweet as honey". The name was first recorded in the 16th century in the pastoral romance "Arcadia" by Sir Philip Sidney, where it was used for a character described as the embodiment of virtuous womanhood.
Pam as a diminutive form of Pamela gained popularity in the 20th century, especially in English-speaking countries. It is considered a modern and informal variant of the longer name. The earliest known use of Pam as a standalone name dates back to the late 19th century.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Pam was Pam Grier, an American actress born in 1949. She was a pioneering figure in the blaxploitation genre of the 1970s, starring in films such as "Coffy" and "Foxy Brown". Grier's career spanned over five decades, and she was known for portraying strong, independent women on screen.
Another famous Pam was Pam Ayres, a British poet and comedian born in 1947. She became known for her humorous and observational poetry, often written in a West Country dialect. Ayres' works captured the daily lives and experiences of ordinary people, earning her widespread popularity and acclaim.
In the world of sports, Pam Shriver, born in 1962, was a prominent American tennis player. She won numerous Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles events throughout her career, and was a member of the successful US Federation Cup team. Shriver is also known for her work as a tennis commentator and analyst after her retirement from professional play.
Pam Ferris, born in 1948, is a British actress who has appeared in various television shows and films. She is perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Marge in the "Harry Potter" film series, where her comedic portrayal of the character was widely praised.
In the realm of literature, Pam Munoz Ryan, born in 1951, is an American writer of children's books. Her works, such as "Esperanza Rising" and "Riding Freedom", explore diverse cultural experiences and have received numerous awards and accolades for their representation of underrepresented communities.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pam
People
Pam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pam as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24,961 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pam going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 13,732 US residents.
Is Pam a common name?
We classify Pam as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33,148 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pam most popular?
The single biggest year for Pam was 1959, when 3,677 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pam is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pam a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Pam in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.