Sam vs Tiernan
Sam and Tiernancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Sam was ranked #50 and Tiernan #115 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #187 and Tiernan #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #127 and Tiernan #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #334 and Tiernan #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Sam and Tiernan over time
Sam and Tiernan appear together in 3 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tiernan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Tiernan in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2022, Tiernan moved ahead of Sam in Northern Ireland · Boys — #113 and #129 the year before became #131 and #98.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sam and Tiernan changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #187 and #125.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Sam and Tiernan averaged 19.2 places apart, ending at #187 and #125.
- Longest-running competitions
Sam and Tiernan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 41 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #50 and #115.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1983–2025
Sam held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Tiernan in 4.
Highest recorded here: Sam #38 in 2015, Tiernan #84 in 2022.
The order changed in 1989: Sam moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #235 and #196; by 1989 that had become #232 and #253.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sam #50, Tiernan #115.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tiernan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sam #47 in 1996, Tiernan #697 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #334, Tiernan #2921.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Tiernan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Sam #44 in 2005, Tiernan #52 in 2008.
The order changed in 2022: Tiernan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #113 and #129; by 2022 that had become #131 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #187, Tiernan #125.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Sam | Tiernan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #115 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sam has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Tiernan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Tiernan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #52 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys