Jack vs Liam
Jack 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, Jack was ranked #2 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #4 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #432 and Liam #7 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #10 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.
Jack and Liam over time
Jack and Liam appear together in 6 published lists, across 219 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Liam in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jack reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Liam 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Jack moved ahead of Liam in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #7 and #6 the year before became #3 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jack and Liam averaged 44.0 places apart, ending at #22 and #70.
- Longest-running competitions
Jack and Liam were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 40 years, from 1986 to 2025, ending at #10 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jack #1 in 1996, Liam #10 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys53 shared years, 1970–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Liam in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2000, Liam #6 in 2021.
The order changed in 1993: Jack moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #50 and #46; by 1993 that had become #32 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Liam #7.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys40 shared years, 1986–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Liam in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2003, Liam #6 in 2020.
The order changed in 2021: Jack moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #7 and #6; by 2021 that had become #3 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #10, Liam #15.
New Zealand · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Liam in 14.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Liam #1 in 2010.
The order changed in 2012: Jack moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #10 and #1; by 2012 that had become #1 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #4, Liam #17.
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1982–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Liam in 26.
Highest recorded here: Jack #277 in 2013, Liam #3 in 2015.
The order changed in 1998: Liam moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #359 and #394; by 1998 that had become #370 and #275.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #432, Liam #7.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Liam in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Liam #10 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Liam #70.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Liam in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Liam #35 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, 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 | Jack | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. | A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'. |
| Origin | English, historically a diminutive of John | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒæk/ | /ˈliːəm/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jankin | 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 #2 (2025) | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin, while Liam is recorded with a Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) origin.
- Jack and Liam both have 1 syllable.
- Jack'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.
- The available evidence gives Jack a "high" Data Confidence level and Liam a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Jack
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #171 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 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