Pamilla
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially a variant of "Pamela".
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Pamilla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pamilla today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pamilla births was 1949 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pamilla. 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 Pamilla is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pamillas were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pamilla. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1949
10 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1961 SSA rank
#7,270
Tracked since 1944
Census
Pamilla in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 113 people with the first name Pamilla, which placed it at #51,508 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,508
National first-name rank
People counted
113
113 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
69.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pamilla
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pamilla is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Pamilla described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Pamilla at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.9% · 79
- Black or African American19.5% · 22
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Popularity
Pamilla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pamilla from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pamilla 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 Pamilla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pamilla
Pamilla is a feminine given name with origins that can be traced back to ancient Rome. It is believed to be a variant of the Latin name Pamela, which itself is derived from the Greek words "pan" meaning "all" and "melos" meaning "honey." The name Pamela was initially used as a shepherd's name in ancient Greek pastoral poetry and literature.
During the Roman era, the name Pamilla emerged as a diminutive form of Pamela, adding the Latin suffix "-illa" which was commonly used to create affectionate diminutives. This variation suggests a sense of endearment and affection associated with the name.
While the name Pamilla does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Greek and Latin roots suggest it may have been used in various regions of the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly in areas influenced by Roman culture.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pamilla can be found in the 16th century, when it was used by the Italian humanist and poet Pietro Bembo (1470-1547) in his work "Gli Asolani." Bembo is credited with popularizing the name Pamela, and by extension, its diminutive form Pamilla.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pamilla, although it has remained relatively uncommon. One such figure is Pamilla Olson (1889-1950), an American actress and singer who performed in vaudeville and on Broadway during the early 20th century.
Another notable Pamilla was Pamilla Muir (1923-2008), a British artist and sculptor known for her abstract works and collaborations with architects. Her sculptures can be found in various public spaces throughout the United Kingdom.
In the literary world, Pamilla Ramet (born 1949) is an American political scientist and author who has written extensively on topics related to Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Pamilla Trevithick (1921-2005) was a British archaeologist and expert on ancient Roman pottery, contributing significantly to the understanding of Roman ceramics and pottery production techniques.
Lastly, Pamilla Naresh (born 1960) is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her expertise in the Bharatanatyam dance form and her efforts in promoting Indian classical dance globally.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples illustrate the use of the name Pamilla across various fields and time periods, showcasing its enduring presence, albeit in a relatively limited capacity.
People
Pamilla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pamilla 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
Pamilla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pamilla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pamilla 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 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Pamilla a common name?
We classify Pamilla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pamilla most popular?
The single biggest year for Pamilla was 1949, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pamilla is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Pamilla in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 113 people with the name Pamilla, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,508 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Pamilla in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Pamilla?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Pamilla leans strongly female. 110 people counted with this name were female (98.2%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.8%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Pamilla?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pamilla is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Pamilla most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Pamilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.9% (79 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pamilla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pamilla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pamilla 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.
Is Pamilla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pamilla in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pamilla can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How common is the name Pamilla?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.