2000
#14,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Mckiernan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thighearnáin," meaning "son of Tighearnán," a personal name meaning "little lord."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,551 Americans carry the last name Mckiernan. That puts it at #13,170 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckiernan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mckiernan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 134,361
Census rank
#13,170
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,225 bearers of the surname Mckiernan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13170th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckiernan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckiernan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckiernan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckiernan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mckiernan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,040
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 101
- Two or more races2.1% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckiernan
Mckiernan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
+127 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 241 places
2020
#13,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,225
+128 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 1,109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,038 | 1,970 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,279 | 2,097 | 0.71 | +127 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 241 places |
| 2020 | #13,170 | 2,225 | 0.74 | +128 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 1,109 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mckiernan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,279 | #13,170 | 7.8% |
| Count | 2,097 | 2,225 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.74 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckiernan bearers went from 2,097 to 2,225 (+6.1% change). The surname moved up 1,109 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,279 to #13,170.
FAQ
Mckiernan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckiernan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,551 living Americans carry the surname Mckiernan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,361 residents.
How common is Mckiernan?
Mckiernan ranks #13,170 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,225 people with the surname Mckiernan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,551), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mckiernan.
Has Mckiernan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckiernan went from 2,097 recorded bearers to 2,225. That is an increase of 128 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,279 to #13,170.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckiernan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckiernan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mckiernan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,040 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckiernan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mckiernan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mckiernan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thighearnáin," meaning "son of Tighearnán," a personal name meaning "little lord." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mckiernan (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mckiernan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.