Evelyn vs Pamela
Evelyn and Pamelacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Evelyn was ranked #12 and Pamela #2605 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Evelyn was ranked #95 and Pamela #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Evelyn and Pamela over time
Evelyn and Pamela appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Evelyn and Pamela changed places 14 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2017, ending at #95 and #873.
- Longest-running competitions
Evelyn and Pamela were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #12 and #2605.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1964–2017
Evelyn held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Pamela in 27.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #78 in 1965, Pamela #30 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Evelyn #95, Pamela #873.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Evelyn held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Pamela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #12 in 2025, Pamela #891 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evelyn #12, Pamela #2605.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Evelyn | Pamela |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From an English surname derived from the given name Aveline. Originally more common for boys in the 17th century, now used almost entirely as a feminine name. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛv.ə.lɪn/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #12 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2605 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Evelyn has a recorded origin (English (surname origin)); Pamela does not have one recorded yet.
- Evelyn and Pamela both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Evelyn; Pamela doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Evelyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #121 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2011–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Pamela
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1964
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1964).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls