Boy's name

Liam

“LEE-am”

IPA: /l̠ʲiəmˠ/

short form of Uilliam, the Irish for William — 'resolute protector'

WilliamUilliamBill

The story behind the name

Ireland's most successful naming export: a shortened Uilliam that is now among the commonest boys' names in the United States, Britain and Australia. Liam Mellows died in the Civil War; Liam O'Flaherty wrote 'The Informer'.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Liam?

Liam is pronounced “LEE-am” (IPA: l̠ʲiəmˠ). Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Liam mean?

Liam means short form of Uilliam, the Irish for William — 'resolute protector'.

Is Liam a boy's or a girl's name?

Liam is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How popular is the name Liam in Ireland?

Liam was the number 7 boys' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 20 ten years earlier. Its best year was 2021, at number 6. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Liam spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include William, Uilliam, Bill. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

In the register

#7 for boys in 2025 (#20 in 2015) · best: #6 in 2021

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

Related names

Líadan

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z