William in Irish: Liam
The Irish form of William is Liam, a boy's name meaning “strong protector.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish form
- Liam
- Meaning
- Strong protector
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 73 for boys (2025)
How do you say William in Irish?
William in Irish is Liam, pronounced LEE-am. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Liam mean?
Liam means “strong protector.” William is one of the English forms of the name.
Read more about Liam: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is William in Ireland?
In 2025, 81 baby boys in Ireland were named William, which made it No. 73 that year. That's down from No. 51 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1965, when 1000 baby boys were named William, No. 8 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 875 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 | No. 73 |
| 2024 | 87 | No. 67 |
| 2023 | 94 | No. 66 |
| 2022 | 103 | No. 67 |
| 2021 | 118 | No. 57 |
| 2020 | 118 | No. 51 |
| 2019 | 141 | No. 50 |
| 2018 | 157 | No. 48 |
| 2017 | 139 | No. 54 |
| 2016 | 155 | No. 50 |
| 2015 | 157 | No. 51 |
| 2014 | 165 | No. 50 |
| 2013 | 195 | No. 43 |
| 2012 | 169 | No. 51 |
| 2011 | 190 | No. 47 |
| 2010 | 190 | No. 47 |
| 2009 | 166 | No. 55 |
| 2008 | 181 | No. 46 |
| 2007 | 179 | No. 44 |
| 2006 | 149 | No. 50 |
| 2005 | 149 | No. 51 |
| 2004 | 141 | No. 54 |
| 2003 | 125 | No. 55 |
| 2002 | 139 | No. 49 |
| 2001 | 130 | No. 52 |
| 2000 | 156 | No. 46 |
| 1999 | 130 | No. 50 |
| 1998 | 95 | No. 57 |
| 1997 | 217 | No. 39 |
| 1996 | 240 | No. 36 |
| 1995 | 201 | No. 38 |
| 1994 | 195 | No. 42 |
| 1993 | 241 | No. 35 |
| 1992 | 259 | No. 29 |
| 1991 | 252 | No. 33 |
| 1990 | 325 | No. 23 |
| 1989 | 254 | No. 33 |
| 1988 | 322 | No. 26 |
| 1987 | 369 | No. 23 |
| 1986 | 383 | No. 21 |
| 1985 | 398 | No. 21 |
| 1984 | 428 | No. 18 |
| 1983 | 455 | No. 16 |
| 1982 | 478 | No. 17 |
| 1981 | 487 | No. 16 |
| 1980 | 541 | No. 14 |
| 1979 | 457 | No. 16 |
| 1978 | 458 | No. 16 |
| 1977 | 497 | No. 15 |
| 1976 | 543 | No. 12 |
| 1975 | 538 | No. 13 |
| 1974 | 637 | No. 11 |
| 1973 | 582 | No. 13 |
| 1972 | 677 | No. 10 |
| 1971 | 698 | No. 10 |
| 1970 | 739 | No. 8 |
| 1969 | 730 | No. 8 |
| 1968 | 752 | No. 8 |
| 1967 | 849 | No. 8 |
| 1966 | 820 | No. 8 |
| 1965 | 1000 | No. 8 |
| 1964 | 875 | No. 8 |
Liam in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Liam, letter by letter.
- LLuis, rowan
- IIodhadh, yew
- AAilm, pine
- MMuin, vine
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with William
Questions about William
- What is William in Irish?
- The Irish form of William is Liam, pronounced LEE-am. Liam means “strong protector.”
- How do you pronounce Liam?
- Liam is pronounced LEE-am. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- Is William a girl's name or a boy's name?
- William is a boy's name.
- How popular is William in Ireland?
- In 2025, William was No. 73 for boys in Ireland, with 81 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1965, at No. 8.