Nelson vs Liam
How Nelson 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.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Nelson (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 | Nelson | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2002 — 619 boys | 2024 — 22,164 boys |
| Peak rank | #409 | #1 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #825 (300 births) | #1 (20,818 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 12,134 | 343,615 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 3,616 | 202,429 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Liam reached 22,164 US births in 2024 — 21,545 more than Nelson'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.
Nelson — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | #442 | 19 |
| 2 | Maryland | #452 | 113 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | #477 | 70 |
| 4 | Iowa | #497 | 52 |
| 5 | Virginia | #540 | 125 |
Liam — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | #1 | 1,758 |
| 2 | New Jersey | #1 | 6,079 |
| 3 | Florida | #1 | 14,195 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | #1 | 1,983 |
| 5 | New York | #1 | 12,930 |
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 →