Beau vs Liam
Beau 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Beau was ranked #152 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Beau was ranked #25 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Beau was ranked #22 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Beau was ranked #164 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Beau was ranked #160 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Beau was ranked #110 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.
Beau and Liam over time
Beau and Liam appear together in 5 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Beau in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Liam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Beau in none. 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 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Beau and Liam averaged 41.2 places apart, ending at #25 and #15.
- Longest-running competitions
Beau and Liam were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 30 years, from 1986 to 2025, ending at #25 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Beau #127 in 2023, Liam #6 in 2021.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys30 shared years, 1986–2025
Beau held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Liam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Beau #25 in 2025, Liam #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #25, Liam #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Beau #109 in 2023, Liam #10 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Beau #110, Liam #70.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2004–2025
Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 19.
Highest recorded here: Beau #127 in 2023, Liam #6 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #152, Liam #7.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2009–2024
Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 14.
Highest recorded here: Beau #150 in 2021, Liam #37 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Beau #164, Liam #42.
New Zealand · Boys12 shared years, 2012–2023
Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 12.
Highest recorded here: Beau #22 in 2023, Liam #4 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Beau #22, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Beau | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 | /ˈliːəm/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #25 (2025) | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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)); Beau does not have one recorded yet.
- Beau and Liam both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Liam; Beau doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Beau
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2012–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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