Tiernan Coat of Arms and Surname Origin

Ask a genealogist about Tiernan and the first name they will mention is Kiernan. The family name meaning is “Son of Tighearnán ("little lord")”, the same as for Kiernan.

Heraldry and the Tiernan name

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Kiernan surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

A variant of Kiernan

Only a small detail separates the spellings: Tiernan has “t” where Kiernan has “k”. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. The same family of names includes Kernan and McKiernan.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Tiernan with 2,552 bearers, at rank 12,204. Want more than a summary? See the Tiernan family name pack.