Name Dictionary
What's in a name?
Last Name:
Tierney
Irish (esp. common in Galway): Anglicized form of Gael. Ó Tíghearnaigh ‘descendant of Tighearnach’, a byname meaning ‘Lord’, ‘Master’.
First Name:
Edward
English (also Polish in
this spelling): from an Old English personal name composed of the elements
ead prosperity, riches, fortune + weard guard. This
has been one of the most successful of all Old English names, surviving from
before the Conquest to the present day, and even being exported into other
European languages. It was the name of three Anglo-Saxon kings and has been
borne by eight kings of England since the Norman Conquest. It is also the name
of the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. Undoubtedly the most influential
bearer was King Edward the Confessor (?1002–66; ruled 1042–66;).
In a troubled period of English history, he contrived to rule fairly and (for
a time at any rate) firmly. But in the latter part of his reign he paid more
attention to his religion than to his kingdom. He died childless, and his death
sparked off conflicting claims to his throne, which were resolved by the victory
of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. His memory was honoured
by Normans and English alike, for his fairness and his piety. Edward's mother
was Norman; he had spent part of his youth in Normandy; and William claimed
to have been nominated by Edward as his successor. Edward was canonized in
the 12th century, and came to be venerated throughout Europe as a model of
a Christian king. Derivatives: Scottish Gaelic: Eideard; Eudard (a dialectal
variant). French: Édouard. Italian: Edoardo. Spanish: Eduardo. Portuguese:
Duarte. German: Eduard (influenced by the French form). Scandinavian: Edvard.
Finnish: Eetu. Czech: Eduard, Edvard. Russian: Edvard.Short forms: English:
Ed, Ned, Ted.Pet form: English: Eddie.