Aiden vs Liam

Aiden and Liamcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aiden was ranked #301 and Liam #7 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aiden was ranked #149 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #70 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Aiden was ranked #100 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #216 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #135 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #145 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.

Aiden and Liam over time

Aiden and Liam appear together in 6 published lists, across 180 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Aiden in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Liam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Aiden in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aiden and Liam averaged 45.2 places apart, ending at #70 and #15.
Mirrored each other
Over 61 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Liam rose about as far as Aiden fell — from #94 and #54 in 1964 to #149 and #7 in 2025.
Longest-running competitions
Aiden and Liam were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #149 and #7.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Aiden #50 in 2011, Liam #1 in 2010.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 61.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #92 in 1968, Liam #6 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aiden #149, Liam #7.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #61 in 2011, Liam #10 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aiden #145, Liam #70.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 28.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #149 in 2011, Liam #35 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aiden #216, Liam #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 26.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #33 in 2010, Liam #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aiden #70, Liam #15.
Norway · Boys20 shared years, 2006–2025
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 20.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #212 in 2017, Liam #3 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aiden #301, Liam #7.
New Zealand · Boys16 shared years, 2008–2023
Aiden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 16.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #50 in 2011, Liam #1 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Aiden #100, Liam #17.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Liam

Pairs where Liam shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Liam vs Ciaran
In 1964 they stood at #54 and #49 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #7 and #372.
Liam · Ciaran · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Liam vs Darren
In 1997 they stood at #48 and #52 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2024 they were #42 and #404.
Liam · Darren · 24 shared years, 1997–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
Liam vs Dean
In 1997 they stood at #48 and #45 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2023 they were #52 and #348.
Liam · Dean · 24 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Northern Ireland ranking
Liam vs Gary
In 1997 they stood at #48 and #57 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2022 they were #62 and #352.
Liam · Gary · 20 shared years, 1997–2022 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2022 Northern Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Aiden, Liam
Field	Aiden	Liam
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'.
Origin	Not yet recorded	Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam)
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈliːəm/
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #149 (2025)	Norway · Boys #7 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Liam has a recorded origin (Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam)); Aiden does not have one recorded yet.
Aiden has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Liam.
A meaning is recorded for Liam; Aiden doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Aiden

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #94 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2010 (recorded 1999–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #301 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys

Liam

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #54 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1986–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 2010 (recorded 1986–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys