Boys' name · since 1947
Liam
358,536 babies named Liam in U.S. Social Security records since 1947, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #97 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 358,536
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
358,536 babies have been named Liam since 1947, making it today's #1 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Liam has been recorded 358,536 times among boys since 1947, currently ranked #1 nationally and more common than 99.9% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1947 to 2025.
- #97 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 358,536 born since 1947
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Liam ranks #97 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 358,536 born since 1947, peaking in the 2010s.
- #97 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 358,536
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
Liam's 358,536 recorded births place it above 99.78% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Liam compares
358,536 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
Liam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Liam's SSA record in two at 1989 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1947, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 22,252, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Liam popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1947–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 22,252
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Liam popularity over time - girls
549 total births recorded since 1995 (Liam as girls' name)
Liam by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (174,017 births, 49% of the file).
2010s was Liam's strongest decade.
174,017 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Liam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 117
1950s
117 births
- 1960s 400
1960s
400 births
- 1970s 784
1970s
784 births
- 1980s 1,527
1980s
1,527 births
- 1990s 11,904
1990s
11,904 births
- 2000s 44,940
2000s
44,940 births
- 2010s
2010s
174,017 births
- 2020s
2020s
124,842 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 174,017 births (49% of all-time use).
How Liam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Liam's total volume
Liam by state
Where Liam concentrates geographically, total births since 1947
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 40,176 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 33,632 | 9.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 27,656 | 7.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 24,238 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 14,726 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 13,273 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 12,319 | 3.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 12,206 | 3.4% |
40,176 of 358,536 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Liam appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Liam? ▼
Where does Liam sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Liam most popular? ▼
Where is Liam most popular? ▼
How long has the name Liam been used? ▼
What names are similar to Liam? ▼
What to do with Liam's data
- Liam's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (174,017 total births) through the 2020s (124,842) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Liams (40,176 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Liam
Nearby Names Like Liam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Liam
Compare Liam side by side: Liam vs Lian Liam vs Liandro Liam vs Liangelo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Liam
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Liam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~78 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1947–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Liam draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.