Origin of the Name Tierney
The
Tierney family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives.
Over the centuries Surnames developed a wide number of variants. Different spellings of the same name can be traced back to an original root. Additionally when a bearer of a name emigrated it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books at their new location. Surnames were also often altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another.
Variants of the name Tierney
include O'Tierney and Tiernan. The most important sept of this name was that of County Mayo, where they were Chiefs and Lords of Carra. The name is widespread throughout every County but rarely found in Ulster Province. In Mayo, Tierney and Tiernan have been used as synonyms and cases of these are also found in County Clare. They were firmly established as a sept in Upper Ormond and in the 'Ormond Deeds' Fearnan O'Tyernie is mentioned several times. As early as 1273 there is a recorded reference of a Florence O'Tierney, Bishop of Kilfenora. In 1372 Cornelius O'Tierney is recorded as being the Bishop of Kerry. The Gaelic form of this name is O'Tighearnaigh which is taken from the word 'tighearna' meaning 'lord'.
The Tierney coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Tierney descendants.