Tirny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Tirny originally appeared in Gaelic as O 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 Tirny family

The surname Tirny 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 Tirny family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tirny research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 117 and 1172 are included under the topic Early Tirny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tirny Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Tirny are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Tierney, O'Tierney, Tyernie, Tiernay, O'Tierny and others.

Early Notables of the Tirny family (pre 1700)

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

Migration of the Tirny family

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Tirny: John Tiernay arrived in San Francisco in 1851; Bernard Tierney settled in Philadelphia in 1852 and 1880; James Tierney settled in Philadelphia in 1855.

Citations +

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