The community of Tiernan was named for R. Tiernan of
San Francisco, who was leasing a local
sawmill.[3][4] The
Southern Pacific Coos Bay Line railroad station at this locale was named "Beck" or "Beck Station" after an early station master, but it was never the name of the community.[3] Tiernan post office ran from 1919 through 1970.[3] The railway is now part of the
Coos Bay Rail Link.