Liam

♀ Girl

Pronounced LEE-um /ˈli.əm/High

Meaning: An Irish short form of William — from Germanic, 'a resolute protector; will + helmet'; overwhelmingly a boys' name; here used for girls; we flag the strong male associationLow

In 30 seconds: Resolute protector: Liam is the Irish short of William. Strongly male — here for girls (said 'LEE-um').

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Origin LowIrish, Germanic

MeaningAn Irish short form of William — from Germanic, 'a resolute protector; will + helmet'; overwhelmingly a boys' name; here used for girls; we flag the strong male association

U.S. rank (2025)#4829 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births28 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 547

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Liam is an Irish short form of William — from Germanic, 'a resolute protector' (will, 'resolve', plus helm, 'protection'). It is overwhelmingly a boys' name (the top U.S. boys' name in recent years); where it appears for a girl it is very rare, and we flag the strong male association honestly (slug distinguished; said 'LEE-um').

In the U.S. Liam is a top boys' name and extremely rare for girls. Rare for girls, a-resolute-protector at the root, and strong.

Did you know? Liam is an Irish short form of William — from Germanic, 'a resolute protector' (will + helmet) — overwhelmingly a boys' name; we flag the strong male association where it appears for a girl (said 'LEE-um').

Overall data confidence 32%

References — Liam — strongly male; flagged

Variations

WilliamLiaLiama

Nicknames

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Liam…

Lia— a sound-neighbor girls' name

Mia— a fellow short girls' name

Ava— a companion two-letter-vowel girls' name

Nora— another short Irish-flavored girls' name

Explore names like Liam

By themeuncertain unisex irish germanic

By meaningStrength Protector

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Liam mean?

Liam is an Irish short form of William — 'a resolute protector'. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name.

How do you pronounce Liam?

It's said LEE-um /ˈli.əm/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Liam a boy or girl name?

Liam is overwhelmingly a boys' name; this page covers its rare use as a girl's name, which we flag.

How popular is Liam?

Liam is very rare for girls in the U.S. (it is a top boys' name).