Tiernay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Tiernay

What does the name Tiernay mean?

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Tiernay 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 Tiernay family

The surname Tiernay 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 Tiernay family

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

Tiernay Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Tiernay revealed spelling variations, including Tierney, O'Tierney, Tyernie, Tiernay and many more.

Early Notables of the Tiernay family

More information is included under the topic Early Tiernay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tiernay migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Tiernay to North America:

Tiernay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Tiernay, who arrived in San Francisco in 1851
Dennis Tiernay, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)