Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2009

Tiernan

Meaning lord Gender Unisex · 12% girls Rank 2025 #3,840 Trend ↑ Rising 30%

From Irish Tiarnán, from Tiarna (“lord”).

Rank 2025
#3,840
among boys · ↑345 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Tiernan · +12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 58,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
95 babies
All-time total
1,676
#3,987 all-time among boys
First recorded
1985
in Social Security records

Tiernan popularity over time

1,676 babies have been named Tiernan since 1985, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s 5 15 20 2 – #7,497
1990s 24 162 186 19 +830% #2,339
2000s 119 660 779 78 +319% #1,738
2010s 47 464 511 51 -34% #1,923
2020s (to 2025) – 180 180 30 -41% #3,207

Where Tiernan is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 30 0.02 outside top 500
2027 31 0.02 outside top 500
2028 31 0.02 outside top 500
2029 32 0.02 outside top 500
2030 33 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Tiernan

Tiernan is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,840 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1985, 1,676 American babies have been named Tiernan, about 88% boys and 12% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2009, when 95 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Tiernan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Tiernan?

The median living Tiernan is about 17 years old; half are between 12 and 22. An estimated 1,700 people named Tiernan are alive in the United States today.

median 17 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Tiernan year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 29 #3,840
2024 – – 26 #4,185
2023 – – 35 #3,408
2022 – – 38 #3,207
2021 – – 32 #3,573
2020 – – 20 #4,843
2019 – – 24 #4,320
2018 5 #17,922 28 #3,876
2017 5 #18,223 26 #4,096
2016 5 #18,645 36 #3,220
2015 5 #18,881 46 #2,678
2014 5 #18,989 49 #2,540
2013 5 #19,063 53 #2,397
2012 5 #19,312 56 #2,320
2011 7 #14,724 73 #1,923
2010 5 #19,606 73 #1,937
2009 10 #11,396 85 #1,787
2008 12 #10,032 78 #1,872
2007 5 #20,327 86 #1,738
2006 11 #10,559 67 #2,008
2005 10 #10,863 69 #1,866
2004 11 #9,845 68 #1,832
2003 13 #8,456 62 #1,904
2002 19 #6,114 55 #2,016
2001 17 #6,597 49 #2,145
2000 11 #9,127 41 #2,371
1995 5 #15,585 16 #4,033
1990 – – – –
1985 – – 5 #7,497
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Tiernan, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Tiernan?

The median living Tiernan is about 17 years old. Half of all living Tiernans are between 12 and 22 years old.

How many people named Tiernan are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Tiernan are alive in the United States, based on 1,676 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Tiernan mean?

From Irish Tiarnán, from Tiarna (“lord”).

How popular is the name Tiernan in 2025?

Tiernan ranked #3,840 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Tiernan?

1,676 babies have been named Tiernan in the United States since 1985, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Tiernan most popular?

Tiernan peaked in 2009, when 95 newborns received the name.

Is Tiernan a boy or girl name?

Tiernan is used for both: about 12% of babies named Tiernan have been girls and 88% boys.

Is the name Tiernan rising or falling?

Tiernan is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Tiernan become more popular?

Tiernan is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 boys named Tiernan in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Tiernan

Names that sound and feel close to Tiernan: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Tiernan with similar names → More names starting with T →