Unisex name · since 1985
Tiernan
Since 1985, U.S. Social Security records show 1,481 babies named Tiernan, peaking in 2007. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,988 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,799 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,481
- born since 1985
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Tiernan is the #3799 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,481 recorded since 1985.
Social Security Administration records show Tiernan recorded 1,481 times among boys since 1985, holding rank #3799 nationally today, ahead of 73% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1985 to 2025.
- #3,988 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,799 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,481 born since 1985
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tiernan ranks #3,988 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,799 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,481 born since 1985, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3,988 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,799 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,481
- born since 1985
- 2000s
- peak decade
Tiernan's 1,481 recorded births place it above 91.23% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Tiernan compares
1,481 Top 26% higher than 74% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Tiernan's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tiernan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,481 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 86 | 34 | 22,252 |
Tiernan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tiernan's SSA record in two at 2007 and the more recent half accounts for 60% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 40%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1985, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 86, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tiernan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1985–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 86
- Annual births at peak, across 41 years of records
Tiernan popularity over time - girls
195 total births recorded since 1989 (Tiernan as girls' name)
Tiernan by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (660 births, 45% of the file).
2000s was Tiernan's strongest decade.
660 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Tiernan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 15
1980s
15 births
- 1990s 162
1990s
162 births
- 2000s
2000s
660 births
- 2010s
2010s
464 births
- 2020s 180
2020s
180 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 660 births (45% of all-time use).
How Tiernan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Tiernan's total volume
Tiernan by state
Where Tiernan concentrates geographically, total births since 1985
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 99 | 6.7% |
| #2 | California | | 79 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 41 | 2.8% |
| #4 | Washington | | 13 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Colorado | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Connecticut | | 7 | 0.5% |
99 of 1,481 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Tiernan appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tiernan? ▼
Where does Tiernan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Tiernan most popular? ▼
Where is Tiernan most popular? ▼
Is Tiernan a unisex name? ▼
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What to do with Tiernan's data
- Tiernan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (660 total births); usage has since declined to 180 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Tiernans (99 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tiernan
Nearby Names Like Tiernan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tiernan
Compare Tiernan side by side: Tiernan vs Tien Tiernan vs Tierre Tiernan vs Tieler
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tiernan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tiernan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2007)
Similar record span (~40 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1985–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Tiernan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.