Pamela, often shortened to Pamla, is of Latin origin and means "all embracing" or "completely devoted." It was initially used as a term of endearment before becoming a popular given name in the 17th century. The name gained prominence following its use by Samuel Richardson in his novel "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded," published in 1740.
The name Pamla reached its peak popularity during the late 1940s and early 1950s with a high of 39 births recorded in 1953. However, its usage significantly declined from the mid-1960s onwards, with only a handful of occurrences each year until it nearly vanished by the late 1970s and early 1980s.