Celtic · boy

Liam

A well-loved boy name with real staying power.

Rank 2024

Trend

stable

Band

common

Styles

short · classic

Meaning

Resolute protector (Irish short form of William)

Liam is a common boy name with Celtic roots. In 2024, 22,164 newborns in the U.S. were given the name — ranking it #1 nationally, and its popularity has held steady in recent years. Its style leans short, classic — tags you can match against your partner's picks in the combiner.

shortclassic

About Celtic names

Celtic names come from the old languages of Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany, and they carry that landscape with them — names meaning fair, little fire, born of the sea. Spellings can look mysterious to American eyes (Saoirse, Niamh) because Gaelic follows its own elegant rules. Many arrive with myths attached: warriors, queens, and figures from stories a thousand years deep.

Meaning and origin are editorial; U.S. popularity comes from Social Security Administration public files.

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