Is my son's name really that strange?

Forgive us for not naming our son something simple, like Bob or Bill or Walter: we chose Liam. Let's say it together, "Lee-um." Not that difficult, right? Well, Grant and I didn't think so - then we moved to Hobbs. It's like a foreign name here. Ok, technically, it is an Irish name but I have heard it used plenty in the US. Hellooooooooo - Liam Neeson!! Even though he isn't an American, hasn't EVERYONE seen Shindler's List or seen his name in our country's beloved celebrity magazines at some point?

Most of the people in the northern part of the state got it. When we told someone Liam's name many would say that they knew of another little boy named Liam. Some said, "Oh! A good Irish name!" Others said, "Yeah! Like Liam Neeson!" At some point I learned that Tori Spelling had named her son Liam too - which does doc the name a few points but proves it's not unheard of. Some people did pronounce it, "Lye-um," (like at the doctor's office) when they read it before they heard us pronounce it.

Since moving closer to Texas (yes, I will place a little blame there) people are not able to repeat what we have said when we introduce Liam. We say, "This is Liam (Lee-um)," and in response we have heard several things: "Lum," "Lim," "William (which is where Liam comes from, but still not what we said to them)," "Lime." Still, when someone reads the name before we say it, they pronounce it, "Lye-um."

A few weeks ago I was speaking to a woman who has recently moved to Hobbs from The Netherlands and I told her about Liam. The woman said she has a friend with a son named Liam and that it is a good name because it is so easy to pronounce. HA! Imagine that. Maybe that does verify that it is a foreign name - foreign enough to not be easily understood in the southeastern corner of New Mexico anyway. There is at least one other little boy here named Liam, so there is hope!