| Liam | Sean | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Resolute protector | God is gracious |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LEE-am | SHAWN |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1947 | 1925 |
| Peak year | 2024 (22,252) | 1990 (12,018) |
| In 2025 | 20,818 | 616 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Liam | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 124,842 | 4,766 |
| 2010s | 174,017 | 21,540 |
| 2000s | 44,940 | 64,133 |
| 1990s | 11,904 | 92,003 |
| 1980s | 1,527 | 103,870 |
| 1970s | 784 | 83,819 |
| 1960s | 400 | 47,282 |
| 1950s | 117 | 5,452 |
| 1940s | 5 | 659 |
| 1930s | 0 | 101 |
| 1920s | 0 | 12 |
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.”
The Irish form of John (Seán), borrowed from Norman-French Jehan, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Anglicised variants include Shawn and Shaun.
Liam is more popular than Sean today: about 20,818 US babies were given the name Liam in 2025, compared with 616 named Sean.
Liam means Resolute protector (Irish origin), while Sean means God is gracious (irish origin).
In US records, Liam first appears in 1947 and Sean in 1925, so Sean has the longer recorded history.