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

Tierney, 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 Tierney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tierney in America

Tierney is the 2646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tierney surname appeared 13,608 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Tierney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tierney 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 Tierney

The surname Tierney originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Tighearnaigh," meaning "the descendant of the lord." It is believed that the name first appeared in County Mayo, Ireland, in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Tierney clan was one of the most powerful families in County Mayo, holding significant lands and influence in the region. The name is also found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in Counties Sligo and Galway, where various branches of the family settled over the centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention Tadhg O'Tighearnaigh, a prominent figure from County Mayo, who lived in the late 14th century.

The Tierneys were heavily involved in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century, fighting against English rule in Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Sir Edward Tierney, a military commander, and Christopher Tierney, a member of the Irish Confederation's Supreme Council.

In the 18th century, the Tierney family produced several notable figures, including George Tierney (1761-1830), an English politician and member of parliament, and Michael Tierney (1753-1820), an Irish author and historian.

During the 19th century, the Tierney name gained prominence in the United States, with many Irish immigrants bearing the surname settling in cities like Boston and New York. One notable American Tierney was Michael Tierney (1839-1908), a Civil War veteran and prominent journalist in New York City.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tierney include:

1. Kevin Tierney (born 1951), a Canadian filmmaker and writer known for his work on movies like "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" and "Twist."
2. Pat Tierney (1926-2022), an American professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1951 to 1963.
3. Michael Tierney (1894-1975), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
4. Brendan Tierney (1958-2018), an Irish singer-songwriter and musician best known for his work with the band The Hothouse Flowers.
5. Gene Tierney (1920-1991), an American actress who starred in classic films like "Laura" and "Leave Her to Heaven."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tierney

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

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 Tierney 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 Tierney 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 Tierney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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