MCTIERNAN
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Tiernan, Mctiernan
The surname McTiernan is firmly rooted in Irish heritage, deriving from the Gaelic patronymic Mac Tighearnáin. This construction signifies “son of Tighearnán”, and consequently the name conveys the idea of a lineage that traces back to a minor lord or master.
In Gaelic, the element tighearna means “lord” or “master”, while the suffix -án functions as a diminutive or patronymic marker, denoting “little” or “son”. Thus Tighearnán can be interpreted as “little lord”, and by affixing the prefix Mac one obtains Mac Tighearnáin, “son of the little lord”.
Historical references to the name appear in the Annals of the Four Masters as early as the mid‑13th century, where it is recorded in the form MacThighearnain in relation to County Cavan. Two distinct septs bearing this surname emerged independently in Ireland: one in the province of Ulster, specifically within the ancient kingdom of Breifne in what is now County Cavan and County Leitrim; another to the north‑east in County Roscommon, descended from Tiernan, a grandson of Turlough Mor O’Connor, High King of Ireland between 1119 and 1156.
During the Great Famine, a number of individuals with this surname migrated to America. Records from the years 1846 to 1851 document the arrival of twenty‑six McTiernans at the port of New York, including an eighteen‑year‑old James Tiernan who departed Liverpool aboard the ship Queen‑of‑the‑West on 11 April 1846.
The family has also been granted a heraldic emblem: an ermine shield emblazoned with two red lions passant. Such arms are traditionally associated with families of noble or territorial significance in Ireland.
In contemporary times, the surname remains most prevalent in the counties of Cavan and Leitrim, though it can also be found among the Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada. Variants of the surname include MacTiernan, McTernan, Tiernan, and occasionally Tierney. Notable modern bearers of the name include the film director John McTiernan, renowned for his work on titles such as Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October.
Typical given names associated with the McTiernan surname
Male
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Sean
- Steven
Female
- Angela
- Anne
- Beryl
- Christine
- Davina
- Elizabeth
- Janice
- Julie
- Mary
- Rosemary
- Stephanie
- Susan
- Zara
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McTiernan in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 366 people named McTiernan in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named McTiernan.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
