UK boy's name
Tiarnan
Irish Gaelic name meaning "lord, little king, young master".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Tiarnan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Tiarnan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 14 births.
This profile covers 88 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 762 living people in the UK are called Tiarnan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Tiarnan ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 14 boys were registered as Tiarnan.
- • Tiarnan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #125 in 2024.
- • About 762 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tiarnan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
1999
14 births
Estimated living
762
2026
Meaning
What does Tiarnan mean?
The given name Tiarnan has its origins in the Irish language and is derived from the Gaelic word "tiarnaí" meaning "lord" or "ruler". This name was popular among the ancient Celtic people who inhabited Ireland and parts of Scotland during the early medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of this name can be traced back to the 6th century AD, where it was borne by several Irish kings and chieftains. One of the most notable figures with this name was Tiarnan of Clones, an Irish saint and abbot who lived in the 6th century and founded the monastery of Clones in County Monaghan, Ireland.
Another prominent bearer of this name was Tiarnan of Rosscarbery, an Irish bishop who lived in the 7th century and served as the Bishop of Rosscarbery in County Cork. He is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church and his feast day is celebrated on July 16th.
In the 9th century, Tiarnan mac Fochada was an influential Irish poet and scholar who served as the Chief Poet of Ireland. He is credited with compiling the Lebor Gabála Érenn, a significant work of Irish mythology and history.
During the 12th century, Tiarnan O'Rourke was a prominent Irish king who ruled over the territory of Breifne, which encompassed parts of modern-day counties Cavan, Leitrim, and Longford. He is remembered for his military campaigns against the Anglo-Norman invaders in Ireland.
Another notable figure with this name was Tiarnan O'Clery, an Irish historian and genealogist who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. He was a member of the renowned O'Clery family of scholars and contributed to the preservation of Irish historical records and literature.
While the name Tiarnan has its roots in ancient Irish culture, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, it remains most prevalent in Ireland and among Irish diaspora communities.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Tiarnan over time
The chart below shows babies named Tiarnan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Tiarnan, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tiarnan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tiarnan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4107 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #3863 | 13 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3047 | 33 | 8 |
| 1990s | #1428 | 38 | 4 |
Geography
Where Tiarnan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Tiarnan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Tiarnan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #125 in 2024.
Across the UK
Tiarnan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#619 in 2024
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#125 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 677 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Tiarnan
-
Tiarnan Mulvenna
association football player
Irish footballer
1988-
Related
Names similar to Tiarnan
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Tiarnan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Tiarnan in the UK right now?
In 2023, Tiarnan was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Tiarnan most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 14 babies registered as Tiarnan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Tiarnan?
Irish Gaelic name meaning "lord, little king, young master".
How many people are called Tiarnan in the UK?
A total of 88 babies have been registered as Tiarnan across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland and 677 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Tiarnan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Tiarnan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #125 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.