Baby name meaning

Liam

Resolute protector · Irish origin

Meaning & origin

Liam is a male name of Irish origin, meaning “Resolute protector”.

How popular is Liam?

In England & Wales, Liam ranked #70 among boys' names in 2024, with 749 babies given the name, close to its #76 of 2014. Its strongest year in the England & Wales series is 1996, when it reached #10.

In the United States, Liam was the #1 boys' name in the 2020 data — its best showing in the US series, which samples one year per decade from 1880. It first charted in the US series in 1950.

Liam is a sharply American choice: #1 in the US against #70 in England & Wales.

Liam — popularity rank over timePopularity rank of the boys' name Liam over time, lower rank number = more popular. England and Wales annual rank 1996 to 2024. United States rank sampled one year per decade, 1950 to 2020.#1#10#100#1,000#10,00019501960197019801990200020102024US 1950: #2,518US 1960: #1,674US 1970: #1,188US 1980: #826US 1990: #605US 2000: #140US 2010: #30US 2020: #1England & Wales 2024: #70United StatesEngland & Wales
Liam’s popularity rank over time — England & Wales annual rank (solid) and United States rank sampled once per decade (dashed), #1 at the top. Log scale: each gridline is 10× the rank above it.
Liam in England & Wales: rank and births in sampled years, plus its peak year. Source: ONS ‘Baby names in England and Wales’.
YearE&W rankBirths
1996#105,802
2000#193,825
2005#282,390
2010#332,253
2015#81836
2020#79721
2024#70749

Famous Liams

Names that go well with Liam

Noah Emma Olivia Mason

More on Liam

An Irish name meaning resolute protector that quietly became the most popular boy's name in the Americas.

Liam: number one, on two continents at once — Liam as our Name of the Day.

Swipe & match on Liam in Settle