Jonathon vs Liam
How Jonathon and Liam compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
Jonathon
Male · Hebrew
Meaning: Jehovah Has Given. In The Bible Jonathan Son Of King Saul Was Noted For Manliness: Generosity And Unselfishness. He Saved David's Life When Saul Would Have Killed Him.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Jonathon (boys) vs Liam (boys), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Jonathon | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2000 — 1,499 boys | 2024 — 22,164 boys |
| Peak rank | #226 | #1 |
| Most recent rank (2016) | #987 (207 births) | #1 (20,818 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 11,838 | 343,615 |
| Last 10 years (2007–2016) | 4,139 | 202,429 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Liam reached 22,164 US births in 2024 — 20,665 more than Jonathon's peak count.
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name list.
Want a different comparison?
Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →