UK name, mostly girls
Tierney
From the Celtic language meaning "lord" or "great leader".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Tierney is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Tierney popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 54 births.
This profile covers 556 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 6% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 572 living people in the UK are called Tierney. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Tierney ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 54 girls were registered as Tierney.
- • Tierney ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
- • About 572 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tierney as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 98.8% of Tierney registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
54 births
Estimated living
572
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Tierney
In England and Wales birth records, Tierney has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 1.2% of registrations are for boys and 98.8% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Tierney registered for boys
- Ranked #3,822 in 2013
- 4 boys registered in 2013
- Peak: 2013 (4 births)
Tierney registered for girls
- Ranked #5,581 in 2021
- 3 girls registered in 2021
- Peak: 2000 (54 births)
Meaning
What does Tierney mean?
The name Tierney is derived from the Irish surname Ó Tighearnaigh, which means "descendant of the lord" or "chieftain." It originated in the Gaelic language and is believed to have its roots in the 10th or 11th century. The name likely originated in County Mayo, Ireland, and was historically associated with the Uí Briúin clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tierney can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1192, the name "Tighearnaigh" appears, referring to a member of the Uí Briúin clan.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tierney. One of the earliest was Ruaidhrí Ó Tighearnaigh, a 14th-century Irish poet and historian. Another notable figure was Brian Tierney, an American legal historian and scholar of medieval canon law, who lived from 1922 to 2019.
In the realm of literature, Mary Tierney (1800-1889) was an Irish novelist and writer who penned several popular works in the 19th century. Harry Tierney (1890-1965) was an American composer and playwright, best known for composing the music for the classic musical "Rio Rita."
More recently, Maura Tierney (born 1965) is an American actress widely recognized for her roles in various television series and films, including "ER," "NewsRadio," and "The Affair."
While the name Tierney has its origins in Ireland, it has been adopted and used across various cultures and regions. Its historical roots, however, can be traced back to the Gaelic language and the ancient clans of Ireland, where it held significance as a designation of chieftainship and nobility.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Tierney over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Tierney in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Tierney, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 54 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tierney by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tierney 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 | #5058 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #3069 | 67 | 7 |
| 2000s | #918 | 331 | 10 |
| 1990s | #704 | 151 | 4 |
Geography
Where Tierney is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Tierney. 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.
Tierney ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
Across the UK
Tierney in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#749 in 2023
6 years of NRS records, 20 total registered
Related
Names similar to Tierney
- Tia 15,569
- Thea 12,888
- Tilly 11,524
- Taylor 7,401
- Tegan 6,583
- Tabitha 6,462
- Talia 5,198
- Tara 5,114
- Tiffany 4,653
- Tallulah 4,442
- Tiana 3,570
- Tamara 3,405
FAQ
Tierney: questions and answers
How popular is the name Tierney in the UK right now?
In 2021, Tierney was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Tierney most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 54 babies registered as Tierney in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Tierney?
From the Celtic language meaning "lord" or "great leader".
How many people are called Tierney in the UK?
A total of 556 babies have been registered as Tierney across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 20 more in Scotland.
Where is Tierney most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Tierney ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #749 in 2023. 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.