2000
#2,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,262
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.92
Uncommon Last name
Tierney
An Irish surname derived from Ó Tighearnaigh, meaning "descendant of Tighearnach," a personal name meaning "lord" or "master."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,180 Americans carry the last name Tierney. That puts it at #2,656 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,579 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tierney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tierney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,579
Census rank
#2,656
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,238 bearers of the surname Tierney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2656th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tierney
The surname Tierney originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Tighearnaigh," meaning "the descendant of the lord." It is believed that the name first appeared in County Mayo, Ireland, in the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Tierney clan was one of the most powerful families in County Mayo, holding significant lands and influence in the region. The name is also found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in Counties Sligo and Galway, where various branches of the family settled over the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention Tadhg O'Tighearnaigh, a prominent figure from County Mayo, who lived in the late 14th century.
The Tierneys were heavily involved in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century, fighting against English rule in Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Sir Edward Tierney, a military commander, and Christopher Tierney, a member of the Irish Confederation's Supreme Council.
In the 18th century, the Tierney family produced several notable figures, including George Tierney (1761-1830), an English politician and member of parliament, and Michael Tierney (1753-1820), an Irish author and historian.
During the 19th century, the Tierney name gained prominence in the United States, with many Irish immigrants bearing the surname settling in cities like Boston and New York. One notable American Tierney was Michael Tierney (1839-1908), a Civil War veteran and prominent journalist in New York City.
Other notable individuals with the surname Tierney include:
1. Kevin Tierney (born 1951), a Canadian filmmaker and writer known for his work on movies like "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" and "Twist."
2. Pat Tierney (1926-2022), an American professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1951 to 1963.
3. Michael Tierney (1894-1975), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
4. Brendan Tierney (1958-2018), an Irish singer-songwriter and musician best known for his work with the band The Hothouse Flowers.
5. Gene Tierney (1920-1991), an American actress who starred in classic films like "Laura" and "Leave Her to Heaven."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tierney
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tierney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tierney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 12,316
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 402
- Two or more races2.6% · 345
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 106
- Black or African American0.4% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tierney
Tierney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,608
+346 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 4.61
Rank movement Down 155 places
2020
#2,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,238
-370 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 4.43
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,491 | 13,262 | 4.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,646 | 13,608 | 4.61 | +346 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 155 places |
| 2020 | #2,656 | 13,238 | 4.43 | -370 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 10 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tierney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,646 | #2,656 | -0.4% |
| Count | 13,608 | 13,238 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.61 | 4.43 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tierney bearers went from 13,608 to 13,238 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,646 to #2,656.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tierney
FAQ
Tierney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tierney?
Name Census estimates that about 15,180 living Americans carry the surname Tierney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,579 residents.
How common is Tierney?
Tierney ranks #2,656 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,238 people with the surname Tierney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Tierney.
Has Tierney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tierney went from 13,608 recorded bearers to 13,238. That is a decrease of 370 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,646 to #2,656.
What does the Census say about the background of Tierney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierney, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tierney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (12,316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tierney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tierney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tierney mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Tighearnaigh, meaning "descendant of Tighearnach," a personal name meaning "lord" or "master." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tierney (4.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Tierney?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.