Liem
A Vietnamese masculine name meaning "virtuous" or "upright."
Name Census estimates that about 711 living Americans carry the first name Liem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Liem today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Liem births was 2011 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Liem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
711
~ 1 in 482,074 Americans
Peak year
2011
49 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,786
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Liem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Liem from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 378 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Liem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Liem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Liems live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Liem, while Washington, Pennsylvania, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Liem
The name Liem has its origins in the Vietnamese language. It is a unisex name that can be used for both males and females. The name is derived from the Vietnamese word "liem," which means "integrity" or "honesty."
In Vietnamese culture, the name Liem is often associated with virtues such as honesty, uprightness, and moral principles. It is a name that carries a sense of respect and admiration for those who possess these qualities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Liem can be traced back to ancient Vietnamese texts and historical records. It is believed to have been in use for several centuries, although the exact time period is difficult to pinpoint due to the limited documentation available.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Liem is Liem Tuan, a Vietnamese general and military strategist who lived during the 13th century. He is renowned for his contributions to the defense of Vietnam against the Mongol invasions led by Kublai Khan.
Another prominent individual with the name Liem is Liem Quat, a Vietnamese poet and scholar who lived during the 17th century. He is known for his works that celebrated the beauty of nature and the simple joys of life.
In more recent history, Liem Sioe Liong was a prominent Indonesian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1916 to 2012. He was a significant contributor to the development of education and healthcare facilities in Indonesia.
Liem Viet Khiem was a Vietnamese revolutionary and communist leader who played a crucial role in the struggle for independence from French colonial rule. He lived from 1914 to 1997 and was a highly respected figure in Vietnamese history.
Liem Sioe Sing, born in 1908 and died in 1985, was an Indonesian banker and entrepreneur who founded the Bank Central Asia (BCA), one of the largest banks in Indonesia.
The name Liem has maintained its significance and popularity throughout the centuries, particularly in Vietnamese and Southeast Asian communities. It continues to be a name that represents integrity, honesty, and moral uprightness, making it a respected and admired choice for parents seeking to instill these values in their children.
People
Liem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Liem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Liem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Liem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 711 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Liem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 482,074 US residents.
Is Liem a common name?
We classify Liem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 719 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Liem most popular?
The single biggest year for Liem was 2011, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Liem is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Liem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Liem in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.