Liam
/ˈliː.əm/noun
A masculine given name, originally an Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William.
Did you know?Liam began as a clipped Irish form of Uilliam, which ultimately descends from Germanic elements meaning “will” and “helmet/protection,” so the name carries the sense of a determined protector.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wiljô
“will, desire”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*helmaz
“helmet, protective covering”
Early Medieval Germanic
Germanic
*Wiljahelmaz
“a compound personal name meaning roughly “will-helmet” or “resolute protector””
Old French
French
Guillaume
“a French form of the Germanic name William”
Middle Irish
Irish
Uilliam
“Irish form of William”
Modern English
English
Liam
“short form of the Irish name Uilliam”