Ethan vs Liam
Ethan 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, Ethan was ranked #315 and Liam #7 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.
Ethan and Liam over time
Ethan and Liam appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ethan in 2.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ethan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Liam 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2001, Ethan moved ahead of Liam in England and Wales · Boys — #32 and #19 the year before became #21 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and Liam changed places 8 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1990 and 2023, ending at #24 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Liam averaged 33.0 places apart, ending at #48 and #70.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Liam were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #49 and #15.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Liam in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Liam #6 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Liam #7.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Liam in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Liam #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, Liam #15.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Liam in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Liam #1 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Liam #17.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Liam in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Liam #10 in 1996.
The order changed in 2001: Ethan moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #32 and #19; by 2001 that had become #21 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Liam #70.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Liam in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Liam #35 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, Liam #42.
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 | Ethan | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːθən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Liam is recorded with a Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) origin.
- Ethan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Liam.
- Ethan'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, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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