Meaning:
Its source is a Greek expression meaning "All sweetness."
Languages:
This girl's name is used in Dutch, English and Italian.
Nicknames: Pam and Pammie
Compound Forms: Pamalee and Tamela
Alternative Spellings: Pamala, Pamella, Pamila and Pamilla
Variant Forms: Pamelia and Pamula
Popularity:
The name Pamela ranked 454th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 37th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name first made its appearance on state popularity lists before 1993, but is becoming less commonly used. In some cases, it has fallen off the lists altogether.
Narrative:
This name appears to have been invented by the 16th-century English poet Sir Philip Sidney as the name of a shepherdess in one of his pastoral poems.
The derivation and meaning given are speculations based on Sidney's known interest and education in classical Greek.