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I was sorry to hear your comments about not liking your name, Pamela.
As a Pamela myself (born in 1983), I completely relate to your issue with being called “Pam”. I have always considered the “-ela” to be the prettiest, most feminine part of the name. For this reason, I have always insisted that people call me by my full name. I remember as early as kindergarten saying persistently, “My name is Pamela.” At some point, my friends even began correcting others when they called me Pam. Many people would begin to slip, but catch themselves quickly, and it would come out, “Pam… ela.”
Later in life (high school) I worked at a grocery store. Oftentimes customers I had never met before felt so comfortable with me, that upon seeing my name tag, they took it upon themselves to assume I preferred the short form. Although I thought it was a rude assumption, I could not say anything to correct them, because they were customers. This was the only time that I became frustrated by my name.
But despite our similar experiences with Pamela, I have actually grown to LOVE my name! Although I still despise the name Pam, I have somehow over the years subconsciously disassociated the name Pam from my name. They seem like two completely different names to me. When I watch Jim and Pam on “The Office”, I don’t think, “We have the same name!” And when someone tries to be funny by referencing Pam Anderson, it doesn’t even bother me (sometimes it actually takes me a minute to get what they are saying), because my name is not Pam.
Some things I love about having the name Pamela:
~I love the meaning, and feel that it has actually impacted my personality to some extent (or maybe it was the name I was just meant to have, because of my personality?)
~I love the literary associations, and the fact that it was created by a poet (whose name I also love).
~I love that it’s not too popular among my generation, but still popular enough that I have met one or two others throughout the years.
~I love the fact that MOST comments on the name that I see while perusing my favorite name websites tend to be favorable. I’ve seen comments like “feminine”, “sophisticated”, and “delicate”.
~The worst thing they seem to have to say is “Pam = Cooking Spray”, but again, my name is not Pam, so that particular comment doesn’t bother me.
I can’t imagine my name being anything else. I sincerely hope one day you will come around to having the name too, Pamela. 🙂
I love your comment and I love the fact that we are around the same age with the same name and have come to the same conclusion 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am also a Pamela, circa 1983 🙂 I’m the opposite…I don’t like ‘Pamela’ and only go by Pam. I feel Pamela is a little too fancy for me so I like being boring old Pam. People have told me ‘Pam’ doesn’t suit my personality and I should be something more interesting but I’ll stick with it 🙂
On that note, did kids in school call you Spam? I was stuck with that moniker for years. I’m in the workforce now and work in a professional setting but yet I’ve been lovingly re-christened as Pam-a-lam, haha
I’ve hated being a Pamela ever since I can remember precisely because even MOST strangers insist upon calling me Pam. It doesn’t matter whether I’m introduced as Pamela, a cashier sees it on my credit card, or a doctor’s office reads it off my chart; they invariably drop the “Pam bomb” on me. Even if I correct people, they will continue to call me Pam. It honestly seems as if Pamela is, perhaps, too much of a mouthful and uncomfortable to say? I even find it awkward to ennunciate it properly myself sometimes. Because of all this, I literally cringe when I have to introduce myself.
A couple of friends call me Ela, which is better than Pam but doesn’t feel quite right. I was surprised to see in an above post that another person knew a Pamela that went by Mela! A friend began calling me Mela (pronounced mee-lah) many years ago and it stuck with quite a few people. When people read Mela, the pronunciation causes some confusion, however, I’ve had people tell me that “meh lah” is pretty.
Although Pamela is a pretty name with a lovely meaning, it has been tarnished and dated by the Pam nickname. I’ve always wanted to change my name but could never decide to what. I used to collect every baby name book I could find, even the scholarly and historic ones. Over the years, I continue to have a very eclectic rotating list of at least fifty “favorite” names at any given time. (Perhaps it is the Gemini in me!)
Although yoo-neek names bother me, I actually thought of changing it to Xela just to make a point and “X” out the Pam, LOL. Seriously, however; if I changed it to Mela, I might spell it Mila so people would not want to pronounce it like, what to me sounds like “melon.” Yet, there are so many other names I like more than Mela…not to mention it doesn’t really fit with my last name so I’d definitely change that, too (but to what???)
So I have remained undecided in Pam-limbo and am now addicted to spending hours and hours on name-related sites, making an ever increasing list of wonderful names!
I cannot stand the “Pam-bomb” either. I always correct people when they shorten my name and then I show them just how annoying it is by shortening their’s. I also don’t like it too much because there are not a lot of Pamelas in their 20’s, it seems to be an older name.
On the up side, it isn’t very popular and that makes me unique 🙂 I’m not a Jessica or Jennifer or Ashley whom seem to have to go by intials or rely on nicknames to tell them all apart.
I also love the “ela” part of my name. If I have a daughter I plan on naming her Ela because she’ll be a part of me and will have part of my name. For many years it was the only part of my name I liked (esp. after the cooking spray came out).
I also feel that having an older name gives me a slight advantage in respect from older generations and that can help in being accepted for job interviews or other professional standings.
I have spent time before on name-related sites to find something more “suiting” for myself (my siblings all have “S” names and so I spent lots of time searching through “S” names) but at the end of the day I turn to learning more about my name and finding new reason to love it and relate to it. After that I find the beauty in it once more.
I actually think I quite like the pah -MEL-ah pronunciation, although I think it would be next to impossible to get people to use it. Pamela, pronounced the normal way, is pretty too. However, I agree with almost everyone else in thinking that Pam is a wretched nickname that will hopefully remain dead despite future resurrections of the full name.
PAM = cooking spray
If I remove the all associated pop culture and the people I know in real life… it’s a pretty name with a nice meaning, but it just doesn’t thrill me. Another one of those names where there is absolutely nothing “wrong” with the name, but it not quite ready for a comeback.
When I was in middle school Pamela was one of my favorite names. I don’t like the nickname Pam, though. It reminds me of the cooking spray. I don’t know why, but I tend to like names from the ’40s and ’50s that most people dismiss as being too granny-ish.
It’s really funny you say that because I’m fifteen and my name’s Pamela and my mom’s name is Johanna! But I usually go by Pam altough my brother calls me Ella for fun sometimes!
When you think about it, Pamela sounds extremely similar to Pomeline, a sweet, unique name that has not yet peaked. Pomeline might be a good choice for parents tempted to use Pamela but wanting something more distinctive.
I actually really like Pamela. I just don’t like Pam, at all! How much cooler would The Office’s Pam and Jim be if they were Pamela and James?! I’ve never known a Pamela so I don’t have any particular associations with the name; maybe that’s why it doesn’t sound dated to me.
I just love how Pamela sounds in my mouth when I pronounce it, like an elongated Plum; it makes me think of eating a delicious fruit. Is that weird? 🙂
Maybe I just like Pamela because I love Paloma. I actually think Pamela could be a good option for parents who like Paloma but want something more familiar, or who like Isabella but want something more uncommon.
I also agree with the previous comments that Pamelas born now and in the near future are probably going to be Pamela, not Pam or Pammy.
I kind of like Pamela, but have mixed feelings about it. I’m not sure why I’m pretty ambivalent about the name. It probably has something to do with Pamela Anderson and not wanting a child to be named after her or associated with her. I do know a Pamela that is about 28. I think it’s rare though that someone in that age bracket bears the name.
I would also like to suggest a name for the name of the day. My suggestion is the boys’ name Levon. I kind of like this name and would like to know more about it.
I was sorry to hear your comments about not liking your name, Pamela.
As a Pamela myself (born in 1983), I completely relate to your issue with being called “Pam”. I have always considered the “-ela” to be the prettiest, most feminine part of the name. For this reason, I have always insisted that people call me by my full name. I remember as early as kindergarten saying persistently, “My name is Pamela.” At some point, my friends even began correcting others when they called me Pam. Many people would begin to slip, but catch themselves quickly, and it would come out, “Pam… ela.”
Later in life (high school) I worked at a grocery store. Oftentimes customers I had never met before felt so comfortable with me, that upon seeing my name tag, they took it upon themselves to assume I preferred the short form. Although I thought it was a rude assumption, I could not say anything to correct them, because they were customers. This was the only time that I became frustrated by my name.
But despite our similar experiences with Pamela, I have actually grown to LOVE my name! Although I still despise the name Pam, I have somehow over the years subconsciously disassociated the name Pam from my name. They seem like two completely different names to me. When I watch Jim and Pam on “The Office”, I don’t think, “We have the same name!” And when someone tries to be funny by referencing Pam Anderson, it doesn’t even bother me (sometimes it actually takes me a minute to get what they are saying), because my name is not Pam.
Some things I love about having the name Pamela:
~I love the meaning, and feel that it has actually impacted my personality to some extent (or maybe it was the name I was just meant to have, because of my personality?)
~I love the literary associations, and the fact that it was created by a poet (whose name I also love).
~I love that it’s not too popular among my generation, but still popular enough that I have met one or two others throughout the years.
~I love the fact that MOST comments on the name that I see while perusing my favorite name websites tend to be favorable. I’ve seen comments like “feminine”, “sophisticated”, and “delicate”.
~The worst thing they seem to have to say is “Pam = Cooking Spray”, but again, my name is not Pam, so that particular comment doesn’t bother me.
I can’t imagine my name being anything else. I sincerely hope one day you will come around to having the name too, Pamela. 🙂
I love your comment and I love the fact that we are around the same age with the same name and have come to the same conclusion 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am also a Pamela, circa 1983 🙂 I’m the opposite…I don’t like ‘Pamela’ and only go by Pam. I feel Pamela is a little too fancy for me so I like being boring old Pam. People have told me ‘Pam’ doesn’t suit my personality and I should be something more interesting but I’ll stick with it 🙂
On that note, did kids in school call you Spam? I was stuck with that moniker for years. I’m in the workforce now and work in a professional setting but yet I’ve been lovingly re-christened as Pam-a-lam, haha
I’ve hated being a Pamela ever since I can remember precisely because even MOST strangers insist upon calling me Pam. It doesn’t matter whether I’m introduced as Pamela, a cashier sees it on my credit card, or a doctor’s office reads it off my chart; they invariably drop the “Pam bomb” on me. Even if I correct people, they will continue to call me Pam. It honestly seems as if Pamela is, perhaps, too much of a mouthful and uncomfortable to say? I even find it awkward to ennunciate it properly myself sometimes. Because of all this, I literally cringe when I have to introduce myself.
A couple of friends call me Ela, which is better than Pam but doesn’t feel quite right. I was surprised to see in an above post that another person knew a Pamela that went by Mela! A friend began calling me Mela (pronounced mee-lah) many years ago and it stuck with quite a few people. When people read Mela, the pronunciation causes some confusion, however, I’ve had people tell me that “meh lah” is pretty.
Although Pamela is a pretty name with a lovely meaning, it has been tarnished and dated by the Pam nickname. I’ve always wanted to change my name but could never decide to what. I used to collect every baby name book I could find, even the scholarly and historic ones. Over the years, I continue to have a very eclectic rotating list of at least fifty “favorite” names at any given time. (Perhaps it is the Gemini in me!)
Although yoo-neek names bother me, I actually thought of changing it to Xela just to make a point and “X” out the Pam, LOL. Seriously, however; if I changed it to Mela, I might spell it Mila so people would not want to pronounce it like, what to me sounds like “melon.” Yet, there are so many other names I like more than Mela…not to mention it doesn’t really fit with my last name so I’d definitely change that, too (but to what???)
So I have remained undecided in Pam-limbo and am now addicted to spending hours and hours on name-related sites, making an ever increasing list of wonderful names!
I cannot stand the “Pam-bomb” either. I always correct people when they shorten my name and then I show them just how annoying it is by shortening their’s. I also don’t like it too much because there are not a lot of Pamelas in their 20’s, it seems to be an older name.
On the up side, it isn’t very popular and that makes me unique 🙂 I’m not a Jessica or Jennifer or Ashley whom seem to have to go by intials or rely on nicknames to tell them all apart.
I also love the “ela” part of my name. If I have a daughter I plan on naming her Ela because she’ll be a part of me and will have part of my name. For many years it was the only part of my name I liked (esp. after the cooking spray came out).
I also feel that having an older name gives me a slight advantage in respect from older generations and that can help in being accepted for job interviews or other professional standings.
I have spent time before on name-related sites to find something more “suiting” for myself (my siblings all have “S” names and so I spent lots of time searching through “S” names) but at the end of the day I turn to learning more about my name and finding new reason to love it and relate to it. After that I find the beauty in it once more.
I actually think I quite like the pah -MEL-ah pronunciation, although I think it would be next to impossible to get people to use it. Pamela, pronounced the normal way, is pretty too. However, I agree with almost everyone else in thinking that Pam is a wretched nickname that will hopefully remain dead despite future resurrections of the full name.
Well as a Pamela that goes by the shortened name ~ NOT a nickname ~ I don’t think it is wretched!!! How dare you be soooooooooooooo rude?!?!?!?
I went to college with a Pamela who went by Mela (mee-lah). A nice option!
PAM = cooking spray
If I remove the all associated pop culture and the people I know in real life… it’s a pretty name with a nice meaning, but it just doesn’t thrill me. Another one of those names where there is absolutely nothing “wrong” with the name, but it not quite ready for a comeback.
When I was in middle school Pamela was one of my favorite names. I don’t like the nickname Pam, though. It reminds me of the cooking spray. I don’t know why, but I tend to like names from the ’40s and ’50s that most people dismiss as being too granny-ish.
You know, I like Pamela – I really, really do. I think it would be refreshing today to meet a little Pamela. And she could always go by Ela/Ella.
It’s really funny you say that because I’m fifteen and my name’s Pamela and my mom’s name is Johanna! But I usually go by Pam altough my brother calls me Ella for fun sometimes!
When you think about it, Pamela sounds extremely similar to Pomeline, a sweet, unique name that has not yet peaked. Pomeline might be a good choice for parents tempted to use Pamela but wanting something more distinctive.
I actually really like Pamela. I just don’t like Pam, at all! How much cooler would The Office’s Pam and Jim be if they were Pamela and James?! I’ve never known a Pamela so I don’t have any particular associations with the name; maybe that’s why it doesn’t sound dated to me.
I just love how Pamela sounds in my mouth when I pronounce it, like an elongated Plum; it makes me think of eating a delicious fruit. Is that weird? 🙂
Maybe I just like Pamela because I love Paloma. I actually think Pamela could be a good option for parents who like Paloma but want something more familiar, or who like Isabella but want something more uncommon.
I also agree with the previous comments that Pamelas born now and in the near future are probably going to be Pamela, not Pam or Pammy.
I kind of like Pamela, but have mixed feelings about it. I’m not sure why I’m pretty ambivalent about the name. It probably has something to do with Pamela Anderson and not wanting a child to be named after her or associated with her. I do know a Pamela that is about 28. I think it’s rare though that someone in that age bracket bears the name.
I would also like to suggest a name for the name of the day. My suggestion is the boys’ name Levon. I kind of like this name and would like to know more about it.