Find out how popular the last name McKiernan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McKiernan.

McKiernan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McKiernan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKiernan in America

McKiernan is the 14279th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKiernan surname appeared 2,097 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McKiernan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKiernan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McKiernan

The surname McKiernan is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Thighearnáin" meaning "son of Tighearnan". Tighearnan itself is an old Irish personal name composed of the elements "tighearna" meaning "lord" and the diminutive suffix "án".

The name first emerged in the Irish counties of Roscommon and Sligo, where several prominent families bearing the name resided. One of the earliest recorded references to the name dates back to the 13th century in the Annals of Connacht, an Irish chronicle that mentions a McKiernan chieftain.

In the 16th century, the McKiernan clan was among the most powerful families in Roscommon and played a significant role in the Gaelic resistance against English rule in Ireland. During this period, the name appeared in various spellings, such as MacTernan, MacKernan, and McTernan, reflecting the variations in anglicization.

Notable individuals bearing the McKiernan surname include Fergus McKiernan (c.1580-1644), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Catholic cause during the Irish Confederate Wars. Another prominent figure was Patrick McKiernan (1679-1731), a Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and theology.

In the 19th century, John McKiernan (1810-1892) was a respected scholar and educator who served as the president of Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland. James McKiernan (1836-1917), born in Ireland, was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later served as a brigadier general.

A more recent figure of note is Michael McKiernan (1936-2022), an American actor known for his roles in films such as "Avalanche Express" and "The Deer Hunter". He was born in Bronx, New York, to Irish immigrant parents.

The McKiernan surname has a rich history deeply rooted in Irish culture and traditions, with many bearers of the name playing significant roles in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKiernan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McKiernan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McKiernan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McKiernan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McKiernan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McKiernan, please contact us.

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