| Aiden | Liam | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little fire | Resolute protector |
| Origin | Irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AY-den | LEE-am |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1970 | 1947 |
| Peak year | 2009 (16,030) | 2024 (22,252) |
| In 2025 | 5,046 | 20,818 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aiden | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 42,793 | 124,842 |
| 2010s | 129,675 | 174,017 |
| 2000s | 83,554 | 44,940 |
| 1990s | 1,642 | 11,904 |
| 1980s | 76 | 1,527 |
| 1970s | 25 | 784 |
| 1960s | 0 | 400 |
| 1950s | 0 | 117 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 |
Aiden (Aidan) is from the Irish Aodhán, a diminutive of Aodh, the name of a Celtic sun and fire god — hence the sense “little fire.”
Liam is an Irish short form of William, itself from the Germanic Wilhelm — wil (will, desire) plus helm (helmet, protection) — giving the sense “resolute protector” or “strong-willed guardian.”
Liam is more popular than Aiden today: about 20,818 US babies were given the name Liam in 2025, compared with 5,046 named Aiden.
Aiden means Little fire (Irish origin), while Liam means Resolute protector (Irish origin).
In US records, Aiden first appears in 1970 and Liam in 1947, so Liam has the longer recorded history.