Liam
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- LEE-am
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #63 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1 for boys
- Style
- Classic
Liam is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “will-helmet, resolute protector”. In 2025 it ranked 63rd for boys in the UK (887 babies) and 1st for boys in the US (20,818 babies).
What does Liam mean?
Germanic: Irish short form of William
“will-helmet, resolute protector”
A short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William, from Germanic words for will and helmet.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Liam a girl's or a boy's name?
Liam is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 887 boys in the UK and 28 girls and 20,818 boys in the US.
How popular is Liam in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 63rd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 887 about 1 in 340 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 6% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 4.1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 887 boys in the UK were named Liam, making it the 63rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 69th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 6,503 boys.
Half of all the boys named Liam in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 68th in England and Wales, 51st in Scotland and 44th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#56), 1994 (#17), 2004 (#30), 2014 (#76) and 2024 (#70).
Liam in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 887 | #63 |
| 2024 | 891 | #64 |
| 2023 | 882 | #70 |
| 2022 | 883 | #72 |
| 2021 | 866 | #76 |
| 2020 | 897 | #69 |
| 2019 | 985 | #69 |
| 2018 | 934 | #76 |
| 2017 | 901 | #87 |
| 2016 | 893 | #88 |
| 2015 | 1,070 | #70 |
| 2014 | 1,132 | #63 |
| 2013 | 1,230 | #59 |
| 2012 | 1,714 | #46 |
| 2011 | 2,014 | #42 |
| 2010 | 2,694 | #31 |
| 2009 | 3,310 | #22 |
| 2008 | 3,562 | #19 |
| 2007 | 2,863 | #27 |
| 2006 | 2,426 | #32 |
| 2005 | 2,840 | #27 |
| 2004 | 3,057 | #28 |
| 2003 | 3,134 | #27 |
| 2002 | 3,403 | #23 |
| 2001 | 3,374 | #23 |
| 2000 | 4,357 | #19 |
| 1999 | 5,001 | #16 |
| 1998 | 4,004 | #23 |
| 1997 | 5,367 | #13 |
| 1996 | 6,503 | #8 |
How popular is Liam in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 20,818 about 1 in 82 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 6% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 16% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 20,818 boys in the US were named Liam, making it the 1st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1st. Its busiest year was 2024, with 22,252 boys. It first appears in the records in 1947. 28 girls were also named Liam in 2025 (4,757th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Liam in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Liam in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20,818 | #1 |
| 2024 | 22,252 | #1 |
| 2023 | 20,904 | #1 |
| 2022 | 20,579 | #1 |
| 2021 | 20,424 | #1 |
| 2020 | 19,865 | #1 |
| 2019 | 20,631 | #1 |
| 2018 | 19,977 | #1 |
| 2017 | 18,874 | #1 |
| 2016 | 18,277 | #2 |
| 2015 | 18,410 | #2 |
| 2014 | 18,488 | #2 |
| 2013 | 18,153 | #3 |
| 2012 | 16,824 | #6 |
| 2011 | 13,450 | #15 |
| 2010 | 10,933 | #30 |
| 2009 | 8,567 | #49 |
| 2008 | 5,982 | #75 |
| 2007 | 5,141 | #89 |
| 2006 | 4,514 | #98 |
| 2005 | 4,152 | #104 |
| 2004 | 3,827 | #112 |
| 2003 | 3,565 | #114 |
| 2002 | 3,382 | #113 |
| 2001 | 3,029 | #131 |
| 2000 | 2,781 | #140 |
| 1999 | 2,709 | #141 |
| 1998 | 2,209 | #155 |
| 1997 | 2,112 | #162 |
| 1996 | 1,748 | #184 |
| 1995 | 1,206 | #239 |
| 1994 | 668 | #360 |
| 1993 | 400 | #514 |
| 1992 | 305 | #588 |
| 1991 | 270 | #618 |
| 1990 | 277 | #601 |
| 1989 | 224 | #665 |
| 1988 | 171 | #718 |
| 1987 | 147 | #752 |
| 1986 | 152 | #733 |
| 1985 | 150 | #721 |
| 1984 | 145 | #723 |
| 1983 | 145 | #714 |
| 1982 | 156 | #695 |
| 1981 | 123 | #784 |
| 1980 | 114 | #823 |
| 1979 | 118 | #798 |
| 1978 | 112 | #803 |
| 1977 | 97 | #863 |
| 1976 | 70 | #996 |
| 1975 | 82 | #906 |
| 1974 | 72 | #961 |
| 1973 | 61 | #1,037 |
| 1972 | 63 | #1,014 |
| 1971 | 60 | #1,047 |
| 1970 | 49 | #1,178 |
| 1969 | 47 | #1,136 |
| 1968 | 54 | #1,006 |
| 1967 | 60 | #931 |
| 1966 | 47 | #1,073 |
| 1965 | 36 | #1,271 |
| 1964 | 38 | #1,262 |
| 1963 | 43 | #1,174 |
| 1962 | 24 | #1,624 |
| 1961 | 27 | #1,551 |
| 1960 | 24 | #1,657 |
| 1959 | 17 | #1,973 |
| 1958 | 24 | #1,592 |
| 1957 | 28 | #1,486 |
| 1956 | 18 | #1,885 |
| 1955 | 12 | #2,301 |
| 1954 | 8 | #2,940 |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 10 | #2,437 |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 5 | #3,731 |
Names like Liam
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luke, Adam, Dylan, Nathan, Joshua, Ethan, Benjamin, Callum, Elliot, Ryan, Ibrahim, Matthew
Other spellings of Liam
Names related to Liam
More Germanic names
Amelia, Henry, Charlotte, William, Archie, Charlie, Emma, Freddie, Ella, Harry, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Louie, Miles, Alice
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Liam: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/liam, updated 20 October 2026.