Liam
Meaning: “Strong-willed protector (short form of William)”
About the name Liam
Liam is a boy name with Irish roots, meaning “Strong-willed protector (short form of William)”. It is related to William, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a classic, modern, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Liam ranked #1 for boys in the US, with 20,818 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2024. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Liam were boys.
Etymology
Derived from William, which comes from Proto-Germanic, meaning “will” + “helmet”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Liam”, “William”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #1
- In 2015
- #2
- Babies in 2025
- 20,818
Popularity of Liam, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Liam
Liam is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Liam
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.