Tierney: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Tierney is an Irish boy's name meaning “lord, chief.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Lord, chief
- Gender
- Boy
How do you pronounce Tierney?
Tierney is pronounced TEER-nee. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Tierney mean?
Meaning “lord, chief” and implies “lord of the household.” A sixth-century saint, Tierney of Clones had the privilege of being baptized by St. Conleth of Kildare with St. Brigid as his godmother. As a young man he was captured by pirates and taken to the British king who placed him in the monastery of Rosnat in England. He later returned to Ireland and became Bishop of Clogher in County Down.
How popular is Tierney in Ireland?
Tierney is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.
Tierney in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Tierney, letter by letter.
- TTinne, holly
- IIodhadh, yew
- EEadhadh, aspen
- RRuis, elder
- NNion, ash
- EEadhadh, aspen
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Tierney
Questions about Tierney
- How do you pronounce Tierney?
- Tierney is pronounced TEER-nee. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Tierney mean?
- Tierney means “lord, chief.”
- Is Tierney a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Tierney is a boy's name.
- Is Tierney a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Tierney in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.