Given name & surname
Tiernan
“lord of the manor”
Tiernan is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “lord of the manor.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “lord of the manor.”
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1985. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tiernan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,676
- 1,481 boys · 195 girls
- Most popular year
- 2009
- 95 babies
- 2025
- 29
- #3,840 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +7%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 95% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 29 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,840 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 19.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 86 in 2007. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,520 as a first name in 2020; 2,351 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tiernan’s family of names
Tiernan has a related form in Tierney. Tiernan is an English adaptation of Ti(ghe)arnan. Tiernan has a related form in Tiarnan.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Tiernan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Torrin
“from the craggy hills”
98% boys · 2% girls
Cavan
“a handsome man”
>99% boys
Brogan
“one who is sturdy; reliable”
84% boys · 16% girls
Keelan
“a slender and beautiful woman” · “a slender man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Ieuan
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Conlan
“a hero”
>99% boys
Tynan
“one who is dark and dusty”
>99% boys
Cowan
“from the hollow near the hill; one of twins”
>99% boys