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Tierney is an Irish surname. It is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Tiarnaigh (male), Ní Tiarnaigh (female), also Tighearnaigh/Tighearnach. It is pronounced "teer + nee".

It originated in Co. Mayo and also has roots in Counties Donegal and Westmeath, and now widely scattered. It is derived from tiarna, the Irish word for lord or master.

The Tierney family motto is "Faithful to my unhappy country".

A sixth-century saint, Tierney of Clones, had the privilege of being baptized by St. Conleth of Kildare with St. Brigid as his godmother. As a young man, he was captured by pirates and taken to the British king. The king placed him in the monastery of Rosnat in England. Tierney of Clones later returned to Ireland and became Bishop of Clogher in County Down.

• Brandon Tierney (born 1973), hosts 'The Brandon Tierney Show, on WEPN, in New York City
• Charles Rust-Tierney (born 1955), American former ACLU chapter president
• Garrett Tierney (born 1980), American Musician
• Gary Tierney (born 1986), Scottish professional football (soccer) player
• Gene Tierney (1920–1991), American actress and former fashion model
• George Tierney (1761–1830), English Whig politician
• Harry Tierney (1890-1965), American composer of musical theatre
• Jacob Tierney (born 1979), Canadian actor, film director and writer
• James E. Tierney (born 1947), Director of the National State Attorneys General Program at Columbia University and former Attorney General of Maine
• John Tierney (disambiguation)
• Josh Tierney (born 1984), Canadian writer
• Lawrence Tierney (1919–2002), Irish-American actor
• Malcolm Tierney, British actor
• Marc Tierney (born 1985), English professional footballer (soccer)
• Matthew Tierney (born 1970), Canadian poet
• Maura Tierney (born 1965), American actress
• Michael Tierney (disambiguation)
• Patrick Tierney, investigative journalist who works as a UCIS volunteer at the University of Pittsburgh
• Paul Tierney (born 1982 in England), Irish football player (soccer)
• Paul Tierney (born 1965), English journalist and musician
• Sydney Tierney (born 1923), former British Labour Party politician
• Tierney Gearon (born 1963), American photographer
• Tierney Sutton (born 1963), American jazz singer
• William Tierney Clark (1783–1852), English civil engineer of bridges

• Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing, published 1980, revised in 1985, 1990 and latest edition 1998)