Liam
From Irish Liam, a clipping of Uilliam, itself from English William.
Every Liam since 1947 — 359,085 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Liam
Liam is a top-10 name for boys in the United States, ranked #1 in 2025 with 20,818 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1947, 359,085 American babies have been named Liam. Its peak came in 2024, when 22,288 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Liam stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Liam year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #4,829 | 20,818 | #1 |
| 2024 | 36 | #4,087 | 22,252 | #1 |
| 2023 | 30 | #4,617 | 20,904 | #1 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5,106 | 20,579 | #1 |
| 2021 | 30 | #4,567 | 20,424 | #1 |
| 2020 | 33 | #4,231 | 19,865 | #1 |
| 2019 | 30 | #4,613 | 20,631 | #1 |
| 2018 | 24 | #5,399 | 19,977 | #1 |
| 2017 | 38 | #3,960 | 18,874 | #1 |
| 2016 | 19 | #6,573 | 18,277 | #2 |
| 2015 | 21 | #6,153 | 18,410 | #2 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4,512 | 18,488 | #2 |
| 2013 | 22 | #5,936 | 18,153 | #3 |
| 2012 | 23 | #5,813 | 16,824 | #6 |
| 2011 | 13 | #8,942 | 13,450 | #15 |
| 2010 | 22 | #6,085 | 10,933 | #30 |
| 2009 | 21 | #6,454 | 8,567 | #49 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10,490 | 5,982 | #75 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10,539 | 5,141 | #89 |
| 2006 | 11 | #10,322 | 4,514 | #98 |
| 2005 | 9 | #11,447 | 4,152 | #104 |
| 2004 | 15 | #7,659 | 3,827 | #112 |
| 2003 | 17 | #6,775 | 3,565 | #114 |
| 2002 | — | — | 3,382 | #113 |
| 2001 | — | — | 3,029 | #131 |
| 2000 | 12 | #8,332 | 2,781 | #140 |
| 1995 | 7 | #11,222 | 1,206 | #239 |
| 1990 | — | — | 277 | #605 |
| 1985 | — | — | 150 | #722 |
| 1980 | — | — | 114 | #826 |
| 1975 | — | — | 82 | #910 |
| 1970 | — | — | 49 | #1,188 |
| 1965 | — | — | 36 | #1,286 |
| 1960 | — | — | 24 | #1,674 |
| 1955 | — | — | 12 | #2,383 |
| 1950 | — | — | 10 | #2,518 |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Liam
- Liam Neeson Actor · b. 1952
- Liam Hemsworth Actor · b. 1990
- Liam Gallagher Musician · b. 1972
- Liam Cunningham Actor · b. 1961
- Liam Payne Singer · b. 1993
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Liam mean?
From Irish Liam, a clipping of Uilliam, itself from English William.
How popular is the name Liam in 2025?
Liam ranked #1 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20,818 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Liam?
359,085 babies have been named Liam in the United States since 1947, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Liam most popular?
Liam peaked in 2024, when 22,288 newborns received the name.
Is Liam a boy or girl name?
Liam is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Liam rising or falling?
Liam is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Liam?
Well-known people named Liam include Liam Neeson (actor), Liam Hemsworth (actor), Liam Gallagher (musician).