Cooper vs Liam
Cooper 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, Cooper was ranked #198 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Cooper was ranked #19 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Cooper was ranked #21 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #125 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #121 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #139 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.
Cooper and Liam over time
Cooper and Liam appear together in 5 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Cooper in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Liam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Cooper 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 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Cooper and Liam averaged 15.1 places apart, ending at #19 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Cooper #12 in 2012, Liam #1 in 2010.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1998–2025
Cooper held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Liam in 20.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #4 in 2009, Liam #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cooper #19, Liam #15.
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 27.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #134 in 2019, Liam #15 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #139, Liam #70.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 2006–2023
Cooper held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Liam in 17.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #12 in 2012, Liam #1 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cooper #21, Liam #17.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2006–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 18.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #120 in 2017, Liam #35 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #125, Liam #42.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2008–2025
Cooper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 18.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #142 in 2018, Liam #6 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cooper #198, Liam #7.
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 | Cooper | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'. | A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'. |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkup.əɹ/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cooper is recorded with a English (occupational surname) origin, while Liam is recorded with a Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) origin.
- Cooper has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Liam.
- Cooper's recorded meaning differs from Liam's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Cooper
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 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