About the McKiernan Surname

Many McKiernan families will find their roots under Kiernan, the form most records use. The name is generally explained as “Son of Tighearnán ("little lord")”.

Spelling and variants

McKiernan simply joins the particle Mc to Kiernan, a habit common in Irish naming. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them. You may also find the name written Kernan and Tiernan.

McKiernan ranked 14,279 in the 2010 US Census, with 2,097 people answering to the name.

Family crest and blazon

Arms linked to Kiernan and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

Research your McKiernan family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.