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Liam

boy name
Origin
Irish
Syllables
2
Peak era
2020s
Today
▲ Rising

Torn between Liam and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

the short form Ireland made of Uilliam, or William, "will" and "helmet"; a nickname that went out on its own, left Ireland, and climbed to #1 in America for a record run. Brisk, warm, and complete at four letters

The story

Liam began as an Irish short form of William. William descends from the Germanic name Willehelm, whose elements mean will or desire and helmet or protection. Irish speech transformed the Norman name William into Uilliam, and Liam eventually stepped out as a name in its own right. That small act of compression is the heart of its story. Nothing ornamental was added; generations of use simply found the warmest four letters and kept them. The result travels exceptionally well, but its Irish identity should not disappear inside its international success. Actors such as Liam Neeson helped English-speaking audiences hear it long before it became familiar in nurseries, yet no single celebrity explains a name adopted across so many countries. Liam has no need of a nickname because it already carries the intimacy of one. It feels both old and newly efficient: a medieval name family distilled by Irish language and custom into something direct, companionable, and complete. The intimate Irish transformation is the reason the story works.

More names with stories →

The formal names behind Liam

Liam is an established short form of this name.

William · Germanic origin · "will" and "helmet," two old words fused into one name; carried to England by the Conqueror in 1066 and near the top of English boys' names for most of the thousand years since. Will, Liam, and Billy all live inside it

Why we verify every short-form relationship →

Liam across languages

One shared root links 12 names across 3 languages.

Shared root: from Germanic Willahelm, wil "will, desire" + helm "helmet, protection"

The constellation

LiamIrish · short formWilliamEnglishGuillermoSpanish
9 more branches of this family
WillEnglish · short formWillieEnglish · short formBillyEnglish · short formBillEnglish · short formBillieEnglish · short formWillaEnglish · feminine formWillisEnglish · surname formWilsonEnglish · surname formWilliamsEnglish · surname form

Ways to honor William →

How popular is Liam around the world?

In the United States, 125,025 babies were named Liam between 2020 and 2025. In Puerto Rico, 249 babies were named Liam in 2025, and 2,517 have carried the name since 1998.

Liam is on the official records of the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Norway, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, Canada, Austria, South Australia, France, Scotland, New Zealand, England and Wales, Poland, New South Wales, Spain, Montevideo and Brazil.

Liam crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish

United States

1 in 170

In the United States, 125,025 babies were named Liam between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Liam peaked in the 2020s.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Puerto Rico

1 in 72

In Puerto Rico, 249 babies were named Liam in 2025, and 2,517 have carried the name since 1998.

1998peak 2024

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

Mexico City City

1 in 76

In Mexico City, there were 1,540 registrations of Liam in 2022.

2000peak 2022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (67 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Norway

1 in 89 · register 2026

In Norway, 314 boys were given the name Liam in 2025.

1980peak 2015

share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

See the full list for Norway →

Argentina

1 in 130

In Argentina, 5,057 newborns were given the name Liam in 2024.

2012peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

See the full list for Argentina →

Chile

1 in 130

In Chile, 1,345 boys were registered as Liam in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

1980peak 2021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

Ireland

1 in 170

In Ireland, 313 boys named Liam were born in 2025, the 7th most common name among boys that year.

1964peak 20092025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

See the full list for Ireland →

Canada

1 in 220

In Canada, 1,694 boys named Liam were born in 2024, the 2nd most common name among boys that year.

1991peak 20132024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

See the full list for Canada →

Austria

1 in 220

In Austria, 340 boys named Liam were born in 2025, the 20th most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2023

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

See the full list for Austria →

South Australia

1 in 260 · 2017

In South Australia, 71 boys were registered as Liam in 2017.

1944peak 2000

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

France

1 in 270

In France, about 2,340 boys named Liam were born in 2025, the 14th most common name among boys that year.

1980peak 2016

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Liam, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

See the full list for France →

Scotland

1 in 490

In Scotland, 93 boys named Liam were registered in 2024, the 47th most common name among boys that year.

1974peak 19962024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

See the full list for Scotland →

New Zealand

1 in 490

In New Zealand, 117 boys named Liam were registered in 2025.

1960peak 19992025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

England and Wales

1 in 770

In England and Wales, 763 boys named Liam were born in 2025, the 68th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19962025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Poland

1 in 780

In Poland, 317 boys named Liam were born in 2025, the 72nd most common name among boys that year.

2000peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

See the full list for Poland →

New South Wales

#15 · 2025

In New South Wales, 252 boys named Liam were registered in 2025, ranked 15th in that year’s top 100 for boys.

1980peak 19972025

share of that year’s top-100 registrations

New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names

See the full list for New South Wales →

Spain

#16 · 2024

In Spain, 11,176 residents are named Liam, the 240th most common name among men, with a mean age of 5.5 years.
In Spain, Liam was the 16th most common name among boys born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

See the full list for Spain →

Montevideo City

1 in 6,200 · 2011

In Montevideo, 3 boys named Liam were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
In Montevideo, 1 girl named Liam was born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
The count never rose above 4 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

Brazil

1 in 100,000

At the 2022 census, 2,008 people in Brazil were named Liam, ranked 5,105th, with a median age of 2.
Among people named Liam living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.

1980speak 2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 1,395 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

See the full list for Brazil →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Liam

Most people given the name Liam in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Liam

Oliver Bryce Cael Aidan Kieran Finnegan

Where Liam travels

Irish · a top baby name in the US today

Irish American · now one of the most popular boys' names in America

Global crossover · the top boys' name in the US and Ireland in recent years, and widely popular across Northern Europe

Keep exploring

Names like Liam · Names that go with Liam · Middle names for Liam · Irish baby names · Global crossover names · Irish American baby names · Short names

Name trails: explore connections from Liam →

The Liam deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Liam truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Liam fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

Questions about Liam

What middle names go with Liam?

Shane (a single beat to anchor Liam's 2), Shayne (a single beat to anchor Liam's 2), and Cael (a single beat to anchor Liam's 2). The full list, each pairing with its reason, is on the middle names page for Liam.

Is Liam too popular right now?

Liam is very common right now and still rising. In US Social Security records since 1890, its score for the 2020s is 10 out of 10, up from 2 in the 2000s. The 2020s are its peak so far. The published lists, which carry a name only once at least five boys a year receive it, first show it in the 1940s; its biggest decade before the 2000s was the 1990s, with 11,904 boys.

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