Boy · #1 in 2026

Liam

Liam is a masculine given name, often a short form of the Germanic name William.

  • Irish
  • English
  • French
  • Dutch
Current Rank
#1
Peak Rank
#1 (2026)
Total Babies
382K
5-Yr Trend
+8%
1995
First Year
2026
Last Year
2017
Peak Year
#3919
Peak Rank
583
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Liam

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Liam is a masculine given name, often a short form of the Germanic name William.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Irish
  • English
  • French
  • Dutch
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
Etymology
The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: willa ("will" or "resolution"); and helma ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these elements effectively means "helmet of will" or "guardian". When the Frankish Empire was divided, the name developed differently in each region. In Northern Francia , Willahelm developed first into "Willelm" and then into "Willaume" in Norman and Picard , and "Guillaume" in Ile-de-France French. The Norman form was further developed by the English into the familiar modern form "William".
Origin & history
Although the names Willahelm and Guillaume were well known in England before 1066, through Saxon dealings with Guillaume, Duc de Normandie, it was viewed as a "foreign" name. The Norman Conquest had a dramatic effect on English names. Many if not most Saxon names, such as Ethelred , died out under the massive influx of French ones. Since the Royal Court now rang with names such as Alain, Guy, Reginald and William, they were quickly adopted by the English, the Welsh, and eventually the Irish. [ citation needed ] Within a generation, the "new" names had become so completely assimilated that they

The Story of Liam

Liam first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1947, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 22,296 Liams were born — ranking #1 that year. As of 2026, Liam ranks #1 for baby boys with 22,296 births, gradually rising (+8%). In total, more than 382K Liams have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Liam

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Liam. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Where is Liam most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • Saint Lucia
    25%
  • Singapore
    20%
  • Malaysia
    20%
  • China
    18%
  • Ireland
    17%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Liam

Phonetically similar names — useful when Liam is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Liam

What does the name Liam mean?
Liam is a masculine given name, often a short form of the Germanic name William.
What is the origin of the name Liam?
Liam has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Irish, English, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian.
How popular is Liam in 2026?
In 2026, Liam ranks #1 among boys' names in the U.S., with 22,296 babies given the name that year.
When was Liam most popular?
Liam reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #1 that year with 22,296 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Liam most popular?
Liam has historically been most popular in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Liam.
Is Liam a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Liam is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Liam?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Liam include John, James, Robert. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Liam?
Common variants and related forms of Liam include Guillaume, Lyam, Uilleag, Uilliam, Vilhelm, Wilhelm. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Theckla
Peak #3919
👧
Lurley
Peak #3919
👧
Irby
Peak #3919
👧
Siiri
Peak #3919
👧
Alouise
Peak #3919
👧
Alphild
Peak #3919
👧
Willanna
Peak #3919
👧
Byrnece
Peak #3919

About the name Liam

Liam is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1947 and has accumulated 382K births in the dataset. Liam's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Liam's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.