Names Similar to Liam (147 Alternative Ideas)
Do you love the name Liam, but are looking for a similar name?
Liam is one of the most popular baby names, and for good reason. It’s soft, short, a bit exotic, yet easily spelled and pronounced.
Whether you want something less popular, or can’t use the name because you are already close to another Liam, we’ll show you plenty of alternatives that you’ll enjoy.
Our favorite alternatives to Liam are:
- Leon
- Miles
- Toby
- Alec
- Arlo
- Kieran
- Rowan
- Ian
Names that end with -iam
Of course, Liam comes from the name William, which is the obvious alternative. But it’s also very popular, so here are a bunch of options for you! As a bonus, you can use the nickname Liam for these too if you’d like.
- Eliam
- Fitzwilliam
- Gilliam
- Illiam
- Jachiam
- Priam
- William
Names of Irish and Welsh origin
Liam is the Irish short form of William. You might enjoy these other unique but recognizable Irish and Welsh names
Aidan
Aidan is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Aodhan, which means little fire. I love its soft, flowing sound.
Alastar
I was surprised to learn that Alastar is an Irish form of Alexander. It means defender of men. Alastair and other variations are Gaelic forms of this gorgeous and unique name.
Angus
Angus is a Scottish and Irish name meaning one strength.
Bran
Coming from Old Irish, Bran is a name that means raven. According to Irish legend, the seafarer Bran mac Febail went on many adventures while searching for the otherworld.
Brendan
In Old Irish, Brendan means prince or king. It’s strong yet gentle sound makes it a great alternative to Liam.
Brian
Did you know Brian is also a traditional Old Irish name? It might mean might or power. It was very popular in the 1970s but isn’t so common anymore.
Conall
The name Conall is even fairly rare in England, Wales, and Ireland. It means rule of a wolf.
Connor
Connor is fairly popular in the English- speaking world. The traditional Irish zpelli spelling is Conor.
Desmond
The exotic yet recognizable name Desmond comes from Irish, where it shares a name with a region of southern Ireland.
Related post: Exotic baby boy names
Dylan
Here we have another totally recognizable yet soft sounding male name. Dylan is a Scottish name meaning towards the tide. What an amazing origin!
Evan
Surprisingly, Evan is actually a form of John! In Welsh, it’s spelled Ifan. It reminds me of the name Ivan and how it is also a form of John.
Finn
Traditionally the name Finn is spelled Fionn in Irish.
It can be used on its own or be short for a longer name like Finnegan, Finbar, Findlay, Finley, or Fintan.
Griffith
The Welsh name Gruffud is Anglicized as Griffith. It means strong prince. While everyone certainly knows this name, it’s not among the top 1,000 most popular boy names in the US.
Howell
Howell, another Welsh name, is originally spelled as Hywel. It can be pronounced with one syllable or two, like howl or how-well. This unique name means eminent or prominent.
Iago
Did you know Iago is a form of Jacob or James? Would you use it as a name? Or does it remind you of the villain from Shakespeare’s Othello? Or the parrot from Aladdin?
Idris
The Old Welsh name Idris means ardent lord. It’s also an Arabic name meaning interpreter.
Kieran
The Irish name Kieran is a fantastic choice. It sounds modern and fresh yet also exotic and classic.
Killian
Killian is an Irish name that’s easy to spell and pronounce.
Lorcan
And Lorcan is an Irish name meaning little fierce one. It’s surprising that it isn’t more common in the US given the popularity of names like Declan and Logan.
Oscar
If you’re considering Irish origin, Oscar means deer friend. This cosmopolitan name is well known and easily pronounced around the world.
Owen
The name Owen comes from both Ireland and Wales but has an uncertain meaning. This simple name works for anyone!
Padraig
This is one of the most unusual names on our list! Padraig or Padraic are Irish forms of Patrick. Many know the name from the patron saint of Ireland.
Rhys
Rhys comes from Old Welsh, where it means enthusiasm. It’s pronounced Reese, and is typically a male name.
Rowan
Rowan is a fascinating name with many possible origins.
- It can be a reference to the rowan tree
- Old Norse for red
- Irish for red
- A masculine form of the female name Rowena
Seamus
The name Seamus is an Irish form of James and is pronounced shay-mus. Accordingly, some spell it Shamus or Shaemus. However, most people are familiar enough with the name that they’ll pronounce it correctly.
Sean
Sean, Shaun, Shawn, Shane, and similar names started coming into use outside of Ireland in the 1950s. They’re actually the Irish form of John.
Trevor
Trevor is a Welsh name? I had no idea! It comes from the name of a town in Wales and means big village. It became common in the US starting in the 1960s but isn’t used much these days.
You might also enjoy: exotic boy names
Names that Sound Similar to Liam
These names are some combination of short, sweet, soft, and unique. Many are four letter, two syllable names without harsh consonants.
- Adam
- Alec
- Amos
- Arlo
- Cary
- Cody
- Cory
- Cyan
- Dion
- Elam
- Eli
- Elias
- Elijah
- Ellis
- Elmo
- Enzo
- Eric
- Esau
- Evan
- Ezra
- Gary
- Iago
- Ian
- Ivan
- Joel
- Leander
- Leo
- Leon
- Levi
- Louis
- Lyle
- Maximillian
- Miles
- Niko
- Noah
- Noel
- Oliver
- Ovid
- Raul
- Remy
- Rory
- Rudy
- Saul
- Tobias
- Toby
You might also enjoy: rare baby boy names given to just a handful of babies every year.
Names That Share The Same Origin as Liam
Liam comes from William, from the ancient Germanic name Willehelm, which means will helmet. The following names share the same origin and are used in different languages around the world.
- Elmo (Italian)
- Guglielmo (Italian)
- Guilherme (Portuguese)
- Gui (Portuguese)
- Guillem (Catalan)
- Guillermo (Spanish)
- Guim (Catalan)
- Gwil (Welsh)
- Gwilherm (Breton)
- Gwilim (Welsh)
- Gwillym (Welsh)
- Gwilym (Welsh)
- Illiam (Manx)
- Jami (Finnish)
- Uilleam (Scottish Gaelic)
- Vilĉjo (Esperanto)
- Vilém (Czech)
- Vilhelm (Danish, Finnish, Norwegian)
- Vilhelmas (Lithuanian)
- Vilhelmi (Finnish)
- Vilhelmo (Esperanto)
- Vilhelms (Latvian)
- Vilhjálmur (Icelandic)
- Vilho (Finnish)
- Vili (Finnish, Hungarian, Slovene)
- Viliam (Slovak)
- Viliame (Fijian, Tongan)
- Vilim (Croatian)
- Vilis (Latvian)
- Viljam (Finnish)
- Viljami (Finnish)
- Viljem (Slovene)
- Viljo (Finnish)
- Vilko (Croatian, Slovene)
- Ville (Finnish)
- Villem (Estonian)
- Villum (Danish)
- Vilmos (Hungarian)
- Weljahelmaz (Old German)
- Wilhelm (German, Polish)
- Wilkin (Medieval English)
- Wilky (Medieval English)
- Willehelm (German)
- Willis (English)
- Wilson (English)
- Wilmot (Medieval English)
- Wiremu (Maori)
- Wöllem (Limburgish)
- Wullem (Limburgish)
- Wum (Limburgish)
Middle names for Liam work well for these alternate names too!
Last Names Similar to Liam
William is also a last name, used around the world. These last names are variable on William.
- Gilliam (English)
- Wilcox (English)
- Williams (English)
- Williamson (English)
- Willis (English)
- Wilson (English)
- Willems (Dutch)
- Willemse (Dutch)
- Willemsen (Dutch)
- Wilms (Dutch)
- Guillaume (French)
- Guillot (French)
- Vilhjálmsson (Icelandic)
- Fitzwilliam (Irish)
- Mac Uileagóid (Irish)
- McElligott (Irish)
- Lemmi (Italian)
- MacWilliam (Scottish)
- McWilliam (Scottish)
If you like Liam’s light and soft feel, you’ll love our list of names that sound ethereal.
Wrap Up- Names Similar to Liam
We hope we’ve inspired your search for names similar to Liam. No matter the reason you love this beautiful name, we’ve given you plenty to choose from!
Resource: We use Behind the Name to research name meanings, history, and popularity.