Pamula
A feminine given name of unknown origin, potentially derived from Greek.
Name Census estimates that about 546 living Americans carry the first name Pamula. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pamula today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pamula births was 1962 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pamula. 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.
People living today
546
~ 1 in 627,755 Americans
Peak year
1962
39 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1981 SSA rank
#7,920
Tracked since 1945
Census
Pamula in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 745 people with the first name Pamula, which placed it at #15,443 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
#15,443
National first-name rank
People counted
745
745 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
78.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pamula
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pamula is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Pamula 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 Pamula at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 581
- Black or African American14.2% · 106
- Two or more races4.6% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
Popularity
Pamula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pamula from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 295 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
Pamula 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 Pamula during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pamulas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Ohio, Louisiana, Texas recorded the most babies named Pamula, while Texas, Louisiana, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pamula
The given name Pamula has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, believed to have emerged around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "pamula," which translates to "lotus flower" or "pink lotus." The lotus flower held significant symbolism in ancient Indian culture, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
In Hinduism, the lotus is a revered symbol associated with several deities, including Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Brahma, the creator god. The name Pamula may have been bestowed upon children as a way of invoking these auspicious qualities or as a symbolic representation of the divine.
Historically, the earliest recorded instances of the name Pamula can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, where it was mentioned as a feminine name. However, it is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation may have varied across different regions and time periods.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Pamula was a 7th-century Indian scholar and poet from the kingdom of Kamarupa (present-day Assam, India). Her literary works, though not widely preserved, were celebrated for their depth and eloquence during her lifetime.
Another prominent individual named Pamula was a 10th-century Buddhist nun and teacher from the Pala Empire in ancient Bengal (present-day Bangladesh and parts of India). She was renowned for her wisdom and contributions to the spread of Buddhist teachings throughout the region.
In the 14th century, Pamula was the name of a renowned female Sanskrit scholar and poet from the Vijayanagara Empire in southern India. Her works, though largely lost to time, were praised for their lyrical beauty and profound insights.
During the 16th century, Pamula was the name of a respected court musician and dancer in the royal court of the Mughal Empire in India. Her artistic talents were highly regarded, and she was known for her graceful performances.
Lastly, in the 18th century, Pamula was the name of a revered Hindu mystic and spiritual teacher from the Nath tradition in northern India. Her teachings and writings on yoga, meditation, and self-realization were widely studied and followed by seekers of spiritual enlightenment.
These examples illustrate the historical significance and usage of the name Pamula across different regions, religions, and eras in ancient and medieval India, where it held cultural and spiritual connotations tied to its Sanskrit origins.
People
Pamula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pamula 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
Pamula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pamula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 546 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pamula 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 627,755 US residents.
Is Pamula a common name?
We classify Pamula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 696 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pamula most popular?
The single biggest year for Pamula was 1962, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pamula is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Pamula in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 745 people with the name Pamula, or 0.25 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #15,443 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 Pamula 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 Pamula?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Pamula appears almost entirely female. Of the 743 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Pamula?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pamula is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Pamula most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Pamula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (581 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 Pamula in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pamula a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pamula 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 Pamula still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pamula 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 Pamula 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 many people are called Pamula?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.