Find out how popular the last name Liam is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Liam.

Liam, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Liam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Liam in America

Liam is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Liam surname appeared 226 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Liam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Liam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Liam

The surname Liam originated in Ireland and dates back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Líamhain, which means "defiance" or "determined warrior." The name was initially found in the province of Ulster, particularly in counties Antrim and Down.

In ancient Irish manuscripts, the name Líamhain is documented as early as the 9th century. It was often associated with prominent families and clans, suggesting a connection to nobility or warrior lineages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Liam appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 12th century.

The surname Liam is closely linked to the placename Líamhain, which refers to an ancient settlement in County Antrim. This placename is thought to have influenced the development of the surname, as people often adopted surnames derived from the locations where their families resided.

Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the surname Liam. One such figure was Fergus Liam O'Donnell (c. 1460-1505), a prominent Irish chieftain and lord of Tirconnell (now part of County Donegal). Another was Seán Liam Mac Mathghamhna (c. 1530-1590), a renowned Irish poet and scholar from County Westmeath.

In the 17th century, Edward Liam (1618-1684) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. During the same period, Aodh Liam Ó Néill (1642-1715) was a notable Irish Jacobite who fought for the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in Britain and Ireland.

In the 19th century, John Liam (1823-1892) was an influential Irish-American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in New York City. He was also a prominent figure in the Irish nationalist movement and worked tirelessly for the cause of Irish independence.

While the surname Liam has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. However, it remains closely associated with its Irish heritage and the rich history and culture of the Emerald Isle.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Liam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Liam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Liam was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Liam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Liam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Liam, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!