Liam vs Olai
Liam and Olaicompared 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, Liam was ranked #7 and Olai #120 among boys in Norway.
Liam and Olai over time
Liam and Olai appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Olai 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.
Liam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Olai 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Liam and Olai were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1995 to 2025, ending at #7 and #120.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1995–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Olai in 2.
Highest recorded here: Liam #3 in 2015, Olai #89 in 2018.
The order changed in 2002: Liam moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #345 and #329; by 2002 that had become #236 and #419.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #7, Olai #120.
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 | Olai |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #120 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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)); Olai does not have one recorded yet.
- Liam has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Olai.
- A meaning is recorded for Liam; Olai 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
Olai
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #617 among boys in Norway in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2025
Highest recorded position: #89 among boys in Norway, in 2018 (recorded 1992–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #120 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys