Tierney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Tierney originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Tighearnaigh, which is derived from "tighearna," which means "lord."

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Tierney.' St. Tigernath or Tierney was an Irish saint of the 6th century, and third bishop of Clogher." 1 2

Early Origins of the Tierney family

The surname Tierney was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where their chiefs were the Lords of Carra. Over time, the name became scattered through Ireland, but pockets of the name can still be found in most counties of Mayo and Connacht.

"There were three septs of this name in Donegal, Mayo and Westmeath but it is now scattered. " 3 "Tierney is chiefly found in Dublin, Tipperary, and Galway, a very scattered name." 4

Early History of the Tierney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tierney research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Tierney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tierney Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Tierney dating from that time include Tierney, O'Tierney, Tyernie, Tiernay, O'Tierny and others.

Early Notables of the Tierney family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Tierney Ranking

In the United States, the name Tierney is the 3,411st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 5


Tierney migration to the United States +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Tierney family in North America:

Tierney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Tierney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Tierney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tierney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Tierney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Tierney migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tierney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Tierney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tierney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Tierney (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Tierney +
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