Liam vs Samuel
Liam and Samuelcompared 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 Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Liam was ranked #7 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Liam was ranked #15 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Liam was ranked #17 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #42 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #47 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Liam was ranked #70 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Liam and Samuel over time
Liam and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 236 years of shared records. Samuel 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.
Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 2016, Liam moved ahead of Samuel in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #16 and #13 the year before became #13 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Liam and Samuel changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1983 and 2025, ending at #15 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Liam and Samuel averaged 26.5 places apart, ending at #70 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Liam and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #15 and #38.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Liam #6 in 2021, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #7, Samuel #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1983–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samuel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Liam #6 in 2020, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 2016: Liam moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #16 and #13; by 2016 that had become #13 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #15, Samuel #38.
New Zealand · Boys38 shared years, 1986–2023
Liam held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Liam #1 in 2010, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2010: Liam moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #7 and #6; by 2010 that had become #1 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Liam #17, Samuel #50.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1982–2025
Liam held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Samuel in 19.
Highest recorded here: Liam #3 in 2015, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2009: Liam moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #109 and #93; by 2009 that had become #50 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Liam #7, Samuel #75.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Liam held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Liam #10 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Liam #70, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Liam held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Liam #35 in 2008, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2018: Liam moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #70 and #62; by 2018 that had become #56 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Liam #42, Samuel #64.
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 | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːəm/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| 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 #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Liam has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- Liam's recorded meaning differs from Samuel'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
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys