Origin, Meaning And History of Liam
Liam has Irish origin and is a nickname for Uilliam, meaning ‘protector’ or ‘strong-willed warrior.’ The original Irish name Uilliam is derived from the Old German name Wilhelm, composed of the words Willa, meaning ‘resolution’ or ‘will,’ and Helma, which means ‘helmet.’ Thus, this name also means the helmet of choice. With the division of the Frankish empire after the Norman conquest, this Germanic name developed into Willelm, Willaume, and William. Liam has been adapted as the modern short form of the French-inspired English form, William, and is famous as ‘guardian.’
This name’s first known historical record was William of Gellone who lived in the eighth century. Addressed as Liam or Will by his close relatives, he was a French man who reigned as the Duke of Toulouse. Another historically significant bearer of the name was Duke William of Normandy. Well known as William, his conquests gave rise to the numerous forms of this globally popular name. William Shakespeare is yet another influencer because of whom this name continues to be significant.
However, Liam’s popularity took a dramatic turn after the great famine in Ireland, which pushed potato farmers to migrate to various parts of the globe for work and livelihood. Pronounced as lee-yum or lee-uhm, this given name can be further shortened as Lee, Li, or Lam. It is also popularly associated with monikers such as Gwilym, Lyam, Lyahm, Willem, Guillaume, Guillermos, Weelum, Uilleam, and Lliam across the world. The feminine derivative of Liam includes Liana, Liliana, Lienna, Wilma, Helma, Wilhelmina, Iliana, and Willa.
The name also finds mention in popular culture. Fictional characters with this name include William Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, William Wallace from the movie Braveheart, Liam Dunbar in the series Teen Wolf, Liam Fitzpatrick from the animated series the American Dragon: Jake Long, Prince William from the Sleeping Beauty, and Prince Liam from the TV series The Royals.
Liam
How To Pronounce Liam?
Famous People With The Name Liam
- Liam GallagherEnglish rock singer and songwriter who received the Brit award for his noteworthy contributions to music
- Liam LivingstonEnglish cricketer and World Cup winner
- William JamesAmerican psychologist known as the Father of American Psychology
- Liam ClancyIrish musician who received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009
- William Carlos WilliamsAmerican writer and recipient of Pulitzer prize for poetry
Liam On The Popularity Chart
The name Liam grew in popularity after the 1990s and registered stable growth in recent times. The ranking for the name improved gradually from 2008. Find the graphs below for more information.
Popularity Over Time
The popularity of Liam gained traction in 1992 when 304 babies per million shared the name. The number was increased to 5979 in 2008 and reached its popularity in 2018 with 19940 babies per million being named Liam.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
Liam reached its best ranking of 12,984 in 1980. As of 2021, the name is ranked at 17,545. Check out the graph below to learn more about the ranking trends.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Liam
Liam is commonly pronounced as lee–uhm or li-yum. Here are a few names that sound similar.
Popular Sibling Names For Liam
Names With Similar Meaning As Liam
Liam is a name that is associated with the qualities of a warrior, such as strength, determination, and strong will. Here are a few names with the same meaning as Liam.
Infographic: Know The Name’s Personality As Per Numerology
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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How To Communicate The Name In Other Languages
In Nautical Flags
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In Sign Language
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In Braille Alphabet
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In Morse Code
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Name Numerology For Liam
