Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Liam

Liam is the Irish version of William. William is ultimately derived from Willahelm, an Old High Germanic masculine name, from the Germanic elements “wil” meaning “will, desire” and “helm” which means “helmet, protection.” The name is generally translated to mean “valiant protector” (a desire to protect). The Normans brought the name to England after the Conquest of 1066 in the Norman-French form of Norman form of French Guillaume and William became one of the most all-time favorite given names from that point forward (second only to John). See the William name page for more detailed information. After the Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century, the Irish were then exposed to this new name. Originally Irish used Uilliam before eventually shortening to Liam. Today Liam is very popular among English speakers and people of other languages outside of the Irish. In fact, it’s like crazy trendy right now. It’s the #2 most favorite name in Canada right now (after Ethan) and it recently achieved Top 10 status in the United States (#6 in 2012). Liam is also a Top 10 in Sweden, Belgium and Norway, and a Top 20 in Australia, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. It’s a Top 50 favorite in England, Wales, Denmark and Slovenia.

All About the Baby Name – Liam

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME LIAM

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME LIAM

The name Liam first appeared on the U.S. popularity charts in 1967 at position #940 (in other words, a very rarely used name). In fact, Liam didn’t even show mild-moderate usage until the early 1990s. We noticed that there was a significant jump in popularity from 1993 to 1994, so it’s probably fair to assume that Liam Neeson helped influence the name’s appeal. In 1993, he was the star of the movie Schindler's List (a massive critical and box-office film success). And Liam caught on; since the mid-1990’s the name has kept gaining ground on the charts year-over-year without missing a beat. In 2009, the name hit the Top 50 for the first time and in 2012 it became a Top 10 favorite nationwide. They especially love Liam in the rugged states. It’s the #1 baby boys name right now in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana. The name’s particular popularity in the West and Mid-West gives it a cowboy or farm boy quality.

Quick Facts

ON LIAM

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

2

PRONUNCIATION:

LEE-əm

SIMPLE MEANING:

Valiant protector

Characteristics

OF LIAM

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Liam

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LIAM

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Liam

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LIAM

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Liam


Popular Songs

ON LIAM

Liam
a song by In Extremo

Famous People

NAMED LIAM

Liam Neeson (actor)
Liam Aiken (actor)
Liam O'Flaherty (novelist)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LIAM

Tori Spelling;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LIAM

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Liam