Boy's name

Tiarnán

“TEER-nawn”

from tiarna, 'lord' — 'little lord'

TiernanTiarnach

The story behind the name

Tighearnán Ua Ruairc (Tiernan O'Rourke, king of Bréifne) was the man whose wife Dervorgilla was carried off by Diarmait Mac Murchada in 1152, setting in motion the feud that brought the Normans to Ireland.

Its age Associated with 1152 — Kings with Opposition. See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗

Where the name belongs

Leitrim

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Tiarnán?

Tiarnán is pronounced “TEER-nawn”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Tiarnán mean?

Tiarnán means from tiarna, 'lord' — 'little lord'.

Is Tiarnán a boy's or a girl's name?

Tiarnán is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How popular is the name Tiarnán in Ireland?

Tiarnán was the number 115 boys' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 161 ten years earlier. Its best year was 2022, at number 84. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Tiarnán spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Tiernan, Tiarnach. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

In the register

#115 for boys in 2025 (#161 in 2015) · best: #84 in 2022

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z