Liam vs Oscar
Liam and Oscarcompared 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 Oscar #51 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Liam was ranked #7 and Oscar #31 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #70 and Oscar #9 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Liam was ranked #15 and Oscar #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Liam was ranked #17 and Oscar #20 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #47 and Oscar #22 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #42 and Oscar #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Liam and Oscar over time
Liam and Oscar appear together in 6 published lists, across 180 years of shared records. Liam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Oscar in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, Oscar in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Oscar moved into the top 50 at #32 in 2013 as Liam fell out of it to #76, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, Oscar moved ahead of Liam in England and Wales · Boys — #22 and #30 the year before became #24 and #23.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Liam and Oscar averaged 54.8 places apart, ending at #70 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Liam and Oscar were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #7 and #51.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Liam #3 in 2015, Oscar #35 in 2013.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1969–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Oscar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Liam #6 in 2021, Oscar #30 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #7, Oscar #31.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1982–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Oscar in 19.
Highest recorded here: Liam #3 in 2015, Oscar #35 in 2013.
The order changed in 2009: Liam moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #109 and #46; by 2009 that had become #50 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #7, Oscar #51.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Liam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Oscar in 16.
Highest recorded here: Liam #10 in 1996, Oscar #7 in 2013.
The order changed in 2009: Oscar moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #22 and #30; by 2009 that had become #24 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Liam #70, Oscar #9.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys27 shared years, 1999–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Oscar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Liam #6 in 2020, Oscar #17 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #15, Oscar #17.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1998–2023
Liam held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Oscar in 1.
Highest recorded here: Liam #1 in 2010, Oscar #11 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Liam #17, Oscar #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024
Liam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Oscar in 12.
Highest recorded here: Liam #35 in 2008, Oscar #24 in 2014.
The order changed in 2013: Oscar moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #44 and #64; by 2013 that had become #76 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Liam #42, Oscar #34.
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 | Oscar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'. | Possibly 'deer friend' (Irish), or possibly derived from an Old English/Old Norse name meaning 'god spear' — the origin is genuinely disputed. |
| Origin | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) | Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːəm/ | /ˈɑskər/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Liam is recorded with a Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) origin, while Oscar is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse origin.
- Liam has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Oscar.
- Liam's recorded meaning differs from Oscar'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
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
Oscar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #263 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: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys