Liam

Liam began as a short form of William, but has long stood on its own. It is now one of the fastest-rising Irish names in the US, climbing 9 places in the last year to break into the Top 10 for the first time ever.

Irish-born actor Liam Neeson was instrumental in driving Liam up the charts, as was, to a lesser degree, former Oasis member Liam (born William) Gallagher. Celebrities who have chosen Liam for their sons incude Tori Spelling, Calista Flockhart, Rod Stewart, Kevin Costner and Craig Ferguson.

Internationally, Liam is enjoying great popularity not only in the US and Ireland (where it's Number 15), but Scotland and Sweden (Number 9) and Australia (14).

Jaunty and richly textured, Liam is sure to increase even further in popularity.