Liam
LEE-um /ˈliː.əm/
Meaning of Liam
Liam is the Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William. It carries the same etymology — Old German Wilhelm: wil ('will, desire') + helm ('helmet, protection') — but feels distinctively Irish-modern thanks to a century of independent use in Ireland before crossing into American naming culture in the 2010s.
Current popularity of Liam
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #1 |
| United Kingdom (ONS) | 2024 | #26 |
| France (INSEE) | 2024 | #5 |
Cultural notes
Has held the US #1 spot for boys every year from 2017 onward.
Notable bearers of Liam
Liam Neeson (actor); Liam Gallagher (musician); Liam Payne.
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Liam — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31