Liam vs Magnar
Liam and Magnarcompared 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 2022, Liam was ranked #7 and Magnar #422 among boys in Norway.
Liam and Magnar over time
Liam and Magnar appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Magnar in 0.
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.
Magnar reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Liam and Magnar changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1982 and 2022, ending at #7 and #422.
- Mirrored each other
Over 23 shared years in Norway · Boys, Liam rose about as far as Magnar fell — from #586 and #253 in 1982 to #7 and #422 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys23 shared years, 1982–2022
Liam held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Magnar in 5.
Highest recorded here: Liam #5 in 2020, Magnar #253 in 1982.
The order changed in 1998: Liam moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #394 and #368; by 1998 that had become #275 and #472.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Liam #7, Magnar #422.
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 | Liam | Magnar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːəm/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) | Norway · Boys #422 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Liam has a recorded origin (Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam)); Magnar does not have one recorded yet.
- Liam has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Magnar.
- A meaning is recorded for Liam; Magnar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
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
Magnar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #93 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2022
Highest recorded position: #73 among boys in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1945–2022).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #422 among boys in Norway, in 2022.
Norway · Boys