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Kiernan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kiernan

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The baby name Kiernan is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEER-nən.

Kiernan is Irish in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: KEER-nən

What is the meaning of the name Kiernan ?

The baby name Kiernan is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEER-nən.

Kiernan is Irish in Origin.

Kiernan is an Anglicized Irish surname adopted as a given name. Its earliest Gaelic form is Mac Thighearnáin, from mac, son, plus the genitive of Tighearnán. That personal name is a diminutive built on Old/Middle Irish tigerna or tighearna, lord or master, with the suffix -án. The literal sense is therefore son of Tighearnán, with Tighearnán interpretable as little lord.

As a family name, MacKiernan belonged chiefly to north-central Ireland, especially Cavan, Leitrim, and adjoining districts, and appears in annalistic references to Gaelic kindreds of the later medieval period. Anglicized spellings include Kiernan, McKiernan, McKernan, Kernan, and Tiernan. Its transfer to first-name use belongs largely to modern English-speaking naming practice, where Irish surnames often entered the boys’ column before occasional female use, helped by actress Kiernan Shipka.

Kiernan has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kiernan

Kiernan Shipka Actor · Born 1999 · United States Kiernan Shipka is an American actor best known for her role as Sally Draper on the television series Mad Men. She also starred as Sabrina Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Born in 1999, she has become a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

Kiernan – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2010 #1 751
Ireland Girls 1968 #1 406
Canada Boys 2009 #323 6 2,429
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
United States Boys 2024 #854 39 7,044
United States Girls 2024 #911 6 8,487
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,168 11 25,619

Kiernan is popular in 5 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Ireland
Ireland
CO

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People also ask about Kiernan

Kiernan is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Kiernan is a 2 syllable name, pronounced KEER-nən.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Mac Thighearnáin, MacKiernan, McKiernan, McKernan, McKernon and Kernan.
Yes, very popular — Kiernan ranked #1 in Ireland in 2010, and appears in official birth registries across 3 countries.
Kiernan ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2010).
Yes — 1 notable people named Kiernan are in our database, including Kiernan Shipka (Actor).