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SHARED SPELLING

✦ Two distinct US naming histories

Liam

Used in both girl and boy records

Liam appears in both girl and boy US naming records. Compare the two independent popularity histories, ranks, and peak years.

Choose a record

Liam by gender

Each record below preserves the original rank, use count, active years, and peak year for that gender. The spelling is shared; the data histories are not combined.

GIRL RECORDLiam as a girl’s nameUS records 1995–2024
#9810girl rank2017peak year
Read girl record ↗BOY RECORDLiam as a boy’s nameUS records 1947–2024
#111boy rank2024peak year
Read boy record ↗

Popularity ledger

Girl and boy use over time

GirlBoy

Trace the annual recorded uses of Liam in the national name files. Hover a peak marker, move across the chart, or use the arrow keys to inspect an exact annual count and rank.

At a glance

RecordPeak yearHighest rankObserved usage
Girl201738 uses#391420171995–202021 listed years
Boy201920,555 uses#120171947–202069 listed years

Annual counts and within-year ranks from the SSA national-name archive, 1880–2020. Names with fewer than five births in a year are not listed in the source files.

Origin of the spelling

Origin & meaning

OriginIrish short form of William
MeaningA familiar short form rather than a separate root name.

Liam developed as an Irish short form of William. Its modern use expanded from Ireland into the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Americas.

The name became especially visible in the United Kingdom in the 1980s before gaining broader international use.

Related forms

WilliamUilleagUilleam

Reviewed 2026-08-15 · Sources