girls' name · peaked 1959

Pam

A diminutive of the female given name Pamela.

Every Pam since 1915 — 33,148 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys
Rank 2025
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Pam
Peak year
1959
3,677 babies
All-time total
33,148
since 1915

The story of Pam

Pam is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1915, 33,148 American babies have been named Pam. Its peak came in 1959, when 3,677 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Pam stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Pam year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1995
1990 10 #8,335
1985 8 #8,092
1980 24 #3,472
1975 53 #1,772
1970 327 #561
1965 1,218 #246
1960 3,406 #132 10 #2,814
1955 473 #402
1950 229 #546
1945 349 #377
1940 55 #968
1935 10 #2,886
1930 7 #3,964
1925
1920
1915 5 #4,806
1910
1905
1900
1895
1890
1885
1880

Famous people named Pam

  1. Pam Grier Actor · b. 1949
  2. Pam Ferris Actor · b. 1948
  3. Pam Dawber Actor · b. 1951
  4. Pam Shriver Tennis player · b. 1962

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Pam mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Pamela.

How popular is the name Pam in 2025?

Pam did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Pam?

33,148 babies have been named Pam in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Pam most popular?

Pam peaked in 1959, when 3,677 newborns received the name.

Is Pam a boy or girl name?

Pam is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Pam rising or falling?

Pam has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Pam?

Well-known people named Pam include Pam Grier (actor), Pam Ferris (actor), Pam Dawber (actor).

Names like Pam

Compare Pam with similar names →