UK surname
Of Irish origin, a sept of the MacEanruig clan of County Louth.
In the 1881 census there were 230 people recorded with the Tearney surname, ranking it #11,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 65, ranked #34,017, down from #11,748 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Gateshead and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tearney is 230 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 71.7%.
1881 census count
230
Ranked #11,748
Modern count
65
2016, ranked #34,017
Peak year
1881
230 bearers
Map years
4
1861 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Tearney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Tearney surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 40 | #26,118 |
| 1861 | historical | 130 | #17,164 |
| 1881 | historical | 230 | #11,748 |
| 1891 | historical | 131 | #20,073 |
| 1901 | historical | 159 | #17,442 |
| 1911 | historical | 99 | #22,850 |
| 1997 | modern | 65 | #31,141 |
| 1998 | modern | 58 | #32,138 |
| 1999 | modern | 60 | #32,078 |
| 2000 | modern | 65 | #31,641 |
| 2001 | modern | 66 | #31,394 |
| 2002 | modern | 66 | #31,821 |
| 2003 | modern | 63 | #32,152 |
| 2004 | modern | 67 | #31,976 |
| 2005 | modern | 68 | #32,097 |
| 2006 | modern | 70 | #32,240 |
| 2007 | modern | 68 | #32,760 |
| 2008 | modern | 68 | #33,047 |
| 2009 | modern | 72 | #33,021 |
| 2010 | modern | 77 | #32,927 |
| 2011 | modern | 73 | #33,230 |
| 2012 | modern | 67 | #33,840 |
| 2013 | modern | 69 | #33,808 |
| 2014 | modern | 69 | #33,833 |
| 2015 | modern | 66 | #33,976 |
| 2016 | modern | 65 | #34,017 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawick and Wilton | Roxburgh |
| 2 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 3 | Newcastle All Saints | Northumberland |
| 4 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Tearney surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tearney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Tearney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Tearney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Tearney is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tearney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Tearney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Tearney is believed to have originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic name "O'Taidhrin," which means "descendant of Taidhrin." Taidhrin itself is a diminutive form of the name Tadhg, an ancient Irish name meaning "poet" or "philosopher."
The name Tearney was first recorded in County Mayo, where it was prominent among the O'Conor and O'Dowda families. It is also found in County Sligo, where it is associated with the O'Rourke clan. The earliest known reference to the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tearney was Seán Ó Taidhrin, a 16th-century poet and priest from County Mayo. His works, written in the Irish language, are preserved in various manuscripts and provide valuable insights into the cultural and literary traditions of medieval Ireland.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Tearney family was Tadhg Ó Taidhrin, a soldier who fought alongside the Irish Confederate forces during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He is mentioned in contemporary accounts of the conflicts, and his descendants continued to play a role in Irish affairs in subsequent centuries.
Another notable figure with the Tearney surname was Seamus Ó Taidhrin, a 19th-century Catholic priest and scholar from County Sligo. He was renowned for his expertise in Irish language and literature, and his writings contributed significantly to the preservation of Ireland's cultural heritage.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Tearney name was also associated with several prominent landowners and professionals in counties Mayo and Sligo. For instance, the Tearney family owned estates in the parish of Kilmovee, County Mayo, and played an active role in local affairs.
While the surname Tearney is primarily associated with Ireland, it has also been found in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. For example, there are records of Tearneys in the United States and Australia, where they settled as part of the Irish diaspora in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tearney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 66 Tearneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.50x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 66 | 2.50x |
| Durham | 30 | 4.53x |
| Lanarkshire | 29 | 4.03x |
| Yorkshire | 28 | 1.27x |
| Midlothian | 22 | 7.38x |
| Staffordshire | 12 | 1.60x |
| Northumberland | 11 | 3.32x |
| Roxburghshire | 10 | 24.83x |
| Middlesex | 8 | 0.36x |
| Warwickshire | 5 | 0.89x |
| Surrey | 3 | 0.28x |
| Angus | 1 | 0.49x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 0.74x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.26x |
| Selkirkshire | 1 | 4.97x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hawick in Roxburghshire leads with 10 Tearneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 110.86x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tearney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 19 |
| Catherine | 10 |
| Bridget | 8 |
| Margaret | 7 |
| Ellen | 5 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Sarah | 4 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Ann | 2 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Catharine | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Hamer | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Horner | 1 |
| Jane | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| Maggie | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Marney | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Nanny | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Rosa | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Rosina | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tearney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tearney households.
FAQ
In 1881, 230 people were recorded with the Tearney surname. That placed it at #11,748 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 65 in 2016. That gives Tearney a modern rank of #34,017.
Of Irish origin, a sept of the MacEanruig clan of County Louth.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tearney bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.