Pamela

Pamela began as a literary creation in Philip Sidney's Arcadia. It is often explained through Greek elements for all and honey, suggesting all sweetness, although the author's intended derivation is not certain. The name's documented literary beginning is firmer than treating that appealing interpretation as an inherited ancient Greek name.

Samuel Richardson later used Pamela for the heroine of Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, giving it another major place in English literature. Pam became an established short form, with Pammy offering a more affectionate option. For parents considering the full name, those books provide a substantial history beyond its familiar twentieth-century sound. Pamela can also preserve a family connection while leaving the choice of everyday short form open.