Liam continues to top the charts as the most popular name for boys in New York

Liam continued to dominate in the baby names’ world, coming in as the most common name used for a baby boy in the state of New York in 2016. Liam is already known as a highly popular first name in the US coming out strong since 2012 when it made the nation’s most popular names, and it is known to be especially popular in the midwest and northwest.

Released on in 2017, the Social Security Administration revealed that Liam still reigns as king in New York-based on social security card registrations from 2016.

Proving the luck of the Irish, "Liam" topped the list in both 2017 and 2018 again.

Irish girls’ names, however, did not have such luck and none appear to have come close to the top spot with Olivia reigning supreme.

The results from New York in 2016 are slightly different from the national standard where Noah and Emma held the number one spot.

In New York state, the remaining top boys’ names in 2016 were Jacob, Noah, Ethan, and Michael while parents registering a little baby girl seem to opt for names that solely end with an “a” with Emma, Sophia, Isabella and Ava coming in after Olivia.

Read more: Irish baby first names that are super popular in the US

This is the second year in a row that Liam is the most registered baby boy name in the state with 1,413 Liams and 1,215 Olivias coming into the world via the Empire State.

“We generally release the list after Mother’s Day,” said SSA spokesman Everett Lo.

“It’s a fun thing to do and it’s one way we remind everyone that your Social Security Number is with you through life’s journey.”

Read more: Irish baby name Liam top choice among American families

Liam is sometimes thought to be a shortened form of William, the Irish form of William, a Germanic name made of two words meaning “desire” and “protection.”

If you are on the lookout for an Irish baby name but want to pick something a little different to Liam, you can find plenty of other suggestions on IrishCentral’s guide to the most popular Irish baby names in America.

* Originally published in May 2017, updated in July 2020.