Tiarnán
Say it: TEER-nawn
BoyIrishMeans little lord7 letters2 syllables
#252
in Ireland (2025)
#206 with spellings combined
23
babies in 2025
#177
best rank (2018)
546
babies since 1987
Up 4
10-year rank change
Tiarnán through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #206 |
| 2024 | 5 | #559 |
| 2023 | 12 | #319 |
| 2022 | 15 | #285 |
| 2021 | 15 | #285 |
| 2020 | 15 | #284 |
| 2019 | 26 | #202 |
| 2018 | 32 | #177 |
| 2017 | 22 | #240 |
| 2016 | 31 | #184 |
| 2015 | 26 | #210 |
| 2014 | 12 | #347 |
| 2013 | 18 | #271 |
| 2012 | 16 | #290 |
| 2011 | 13 | #326 |
| 2010 | 14 | #301 |
| 2009 | 21 | #247 |
| 2008 | 22 | #231 |
| 2007 | 28 | #180 |
| 2006 | 22 | #197 |
| 2005 | 16 | #213 |
| 2004 | 15 | #203 |
| 2003 | 11 | #245 |
| 2002 | 10 | #235 |
| 2001 | 11 | #215 |
| 2000 | 10 | #214 |
| 1999 | 12 | #197 |
| 1998 | 7 | #229 |
| 1997 | 12 | #209 |
| 1996 | 15 | #185 |
| 1995 | 7 | #241 |
| 1994 | 6 | #247 |
| 1993 | 6 | #255 |
| 1991 | 5 | #263 |
| 1990 | 8 | #216 |
| 1988 | 3 | #319 |
| 1987 | 4 | #272 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Tiarnán mean?
Little lord
Irish, from tiarna (lord) with the small ending -án.
Say it right
TEERnawn
The fada makes the last a long, as in "dawn". Without it, many say TEER-nan.
The story of Tiarnán
Tiarnán is built from the Irish tiarna, lord, and the small ending -án, so it is usually explained as “little lord”. Older spellings include Tighearnán, and the English form Tiernan is also a surname.
The best-known historical bearer is Tigernán Ua Ruairc, king of Bréifne in the 12th century. In 1152 Diarmait Mac Murchada, king of Leinster, carried off his wife Derbforgaill. In 1166 Tigernán helped drive Diarmait out of Leinster, and Diarmait went looking for help from Henry II of England. That search led to the Anglo-Norman invasion. Tigernán was killed in 1172.
Tiarnán reached the CSO lists in 1987. Its best year in the Republic was 2018, with 32 boys and a rank of 177 counting both spellings. It has long been more common in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 62 in 2000. In 2025 there were 18 boys registered as Tiarnán and 5 as Tiarnan.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tiernan
- Wikipedia: Tigernán Ua Ruairc
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Tiarnán | 18 | 105 |
| Tiarnan | 5 | 441 |
In Northern Ireland
#120 in 2025 with 19 babies. Best rank #62 (2000); 696 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.