The first name Tierney
A girl’s name from Irish meaning “descendant of tiarnach”, “lord”, “master”.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Tierney means “descendant of tiarnach”, “lord”, “master” in Irish.
Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Tiarnaigh "descendant of Tiarnach", a diminutive of tiarna (“lord, master”).
More names that mean god.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Tierney last appeared in the official list in 2021, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2000, with 54 births (#524).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Tierney with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Tierney at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 15 girls born in the United States were named Tierney, the 7,456th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1993, when 172 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Tierney mean?
- Tierney means “descendant of tiarnach”, “lord”, “master” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Tierney?
- Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Tiarnaigh "descendant of Tiarnach", a diminutive of tiarna (“lord, master”).
- How popular is the name Tierney?
- In 2021, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Tierney, ranking 5,581st. Its peak was 2000, with 54 births.
- Is Tierney a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 3,979 US babies named Tierney since 1880 were girls.
- When was Tierney most popular?
- 1993 in the United States, when 172 babies were named Tierney, its highest rank at 1,062nd.
- Is Tierney also a surname?
- Yes. Tierney is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.