Tierney
An Irish surname traditionally understood as meaning “descendant of a lord” or linked to an old Irish personal name meaning lordly.
The #2,646 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,689 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tierney is generally explained from the Irish personal name Tigernach, from an old Gaelic root meaning “lord” or “master.” In older spelling traditions, the name was associated with forms like Tigernath and later anglicized as Tierney. The sense is therefore not occupational in the modern English way, but a patronymic or clan-style surname built from a revered personal name.
History
The name is long established in Ireland and was especially noted in counties such as Dublin, Tipperary, and Galway in 19th-century surveys. Historical surname writers also linked it with St. Tigernath (or Tierney), a 6th-century Irish saint and bishop of Clogher, which may have helped reinforce the personal-name tradition. In modern English-speaking countries, Tierney remains a recognizably Irish surname and has spread widely through emigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname authorities described Tierney as a “very scattered” Irish name, despite its strong association with specific counties in Ireland.
From the historical record
“TIERNAYI (Celt.)LoRD,MASTER[Ir.rig'ft«flr»- TIERNEY / ach — tigheamifl (^A mute), a lord -1- the pers. suff. -acA] ' Tierney ' is chiefly found in " Dublin, Tipperary, andGalway — a very scattered name." — Matheson,5/>c/.i?/'<.S«m/rW.(i909),p.73. TIFFANY "1 (A.-Fr.-Lat.-Gr.)DiviNE Showing TIFFEN [[Fr. Tiphaine…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Tierney
- Gene Tierney (1920–1991)
- Kieran Tierney (b. 1997)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.