Tierney — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Tighearnaigh
Meaning: 'descendant of the lord' (tighearna)
Traditional stronghold: Tipperary, Mayo
Pronunciation: TEER-nee; Irish Ó Tighearnaigh: oh TCHEER-nee
History of the Tierney name
Ó Tighearnaigh derives from tighearna, 'lord', through the personal name Tighearnach, borne by the famous annalist-abbot of Clonmacnoise. Septs arose in at least three places: in Mayo among the Uí Fiachrach, near Castlebar; in Donegal, where a family of the name were erenaghs; and in Westmeath-Tipperary, where the name spread through the midlands and south. Mayo and north Connacht remain a stronghold, with Tipperary and Clare strong in Munster. The name was anglicised Tierney, occasionally Tiernan by confusion with the distinct Ó Tighearnáin. Its bearers range from a Georgian-era leader of the British Whigs to one of Hollywood's great leading ladies.
Variants: Tierny · O'Tierney
Famous bearers of the name
- Gene Tierney — Hollywood star of the 1940s, unforgettable in Laura.
- George Tierney — Irish-descended Whig politician who fought a duel with Pitt the Younger and led the opposition in the Commons.
- Michael Tierney — Classicist and long-serving president of University College Dublin who moved the campus to Belfield.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Walsh · Kennedy · Burke · Carroll · Hogan · Tobin