Pamlea
A feminine name of modern invention possibly from a combination of Pam and Lea.
Name Census estimates that about 83 living Americans carry the first name Pamlea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pamlea today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pamlea births was 1965 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pamlea. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pamlea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
83
~ 1 in 4,129,570 Americans
Peak year
1965
14 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1971 SSA rank
#6,426
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Pamlea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pamlea from the 1940s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 70 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
Pamlea 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 Pamlea 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 Pamlea
The name Pamlea is of ancient Greek origin, derived from the word "pamphaios," which means "all-shining" or "all-radiant." It is believed to have originated in the 5th century BC during the Classical period of Greek civilization.
Pamlea was a relatively uncommon name in ancient Greece, but it held a special significance as it was associated with the goddess Athena, who was considered the embodiment of wisdom, courage, and strategic warfare. In some ancient texts, Athena was referred to as "Pamphaios," suggesting a connection between the name and the divine.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pamlea can be found in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, who lived from 525 BC to 456 BC. In his tragedy "The Libation Bearers," one of the characters is named Pamlea, although little is known about the significance of this character.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pamlea. One of the most famous was Pamlea of Epidaurus, a Greek sculptor and painter who lived in the 4th century BC. Her works were celebrated for their intricate details and lifelike depictions, and she was renowned for her ability to capture the essence of her subjects.
Another notable Pamlea was a philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 3rd century BC in Alexandria, Egypt. She is believed to have made significant contributions to the development of geometry and was considered a pioneer in her field.
During the Byzantine era, a woman named Pamlea was a prominent figure in the court of Emperor Justinian I, who ruled from 527 AD to 565 AD. She served as a trusted advisor and was known for her wisdom and diplomatic skills.
In the 12th century, a nun named Pamlea lived in a monastery in Thessaloniki, Greece. She was renowned for her piety and devotion to her faith, and her writings on spiritual matters were widely read and respected.
The name Pamlea also appeared in the works of the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesbos in the 6th century BC. In one of her fragments, she mentions a woman named Pamlea, though the context and significance of this reference are unclear.
While the name Pamlea may have fallen out of common usage in modern times, its rich history and connections to ancient Greek culture and mythology make it a fascinating and meaningful name with a storied past.
People
Pamlea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pamlea 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
Pamlea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pamlea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 83 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pamlea 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 4,129,570 US residents.
Is Pamlea a common name?
We classify Pamlea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 102 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pamlea most popular?
The single biggest year for Pamlea was 1965, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pamlea is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pamlea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pamlea 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.