| Names: | Hepo Tiera, Nieran poika 
Hiki kieran, mieran poika
Hiki tieran, mieran poika 
Iki-Tiitty, Äijyn poika and/or 
Niera Tieran poika
Rukotivo, Äijän poika
Tiera, Mieran poika
Ukotiera, Äijön poika
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Tiera Nieranpoika and variants are a set of unclear names which appear in runosongs.
I want to start with a theory on where the name could come from. It's often thought to be of Germanic origin because it includes rhyming which is very characteristic for Germanic poetry but less so for Finnish. Mikko Heikkilä suggested that the variant Tiera comes from þorri "frost", the variant Liera from hlér "sea", and the variant Niera from snær "snow". True or not, it is interesting that with this theory, the names Liera and Kaleva would have the same origin, and this Tiera figure is also called "Äijän poika", and epithet which also appears for a son of Kaleva, Kullervo.
Despite clearly being male, Tiera is often described as having been impregnated by wind and having given birth to the first horse. A likely explanation for this is the line Nikotiera mieron huora "Nikotiera, whore of the world" referring to Louhi. Why Nikotiera? Kaarle Krohn and Martti Haavio believed it morphed from "Herodias", a Christian figure that was strongly connected to Louhi later on. It could be, then, that this "giving birth" factor only later got mixed in from Louhi. Kaarle Krohn, in fact, believed that the whole Tiera Nieranpoika also originated from Herodias (or Judas), but not all researchers agree with this. Both "Äijä" and "juutas" appear as words used for the Devil of demons in runosongs due to Christian influence.
I think it might be important to also note that the Finns of Finnmark, Norway, used BOTH words tursas and äijä to refer to the walrus. They could then, indeed, have an actual connection beyond vague guesses from runosongs.
In runosongs, either the horse itself or Tiera is called lumisorkka, luukavio "snow cloven hoof, bone hoof". Snow is a constant theme: the word tiera in Finnish even meaning snow that is stuck in a hoof. In one Kainuian version, the name Rukotivo appears; this has been believed to have actually come from Rongoteus, somehow getting mixed into this Origin of the Horse. While the form Ikitiera "eternal Tiera" is very common, in many cases, the form is hiki (on) Tiera Nieranpoika "sweat is Tiera, son of Niera". The sweat of a horse has an important role in many incantations. Just like the horse is sometimes called Tiera, the sweat of the horse is also called Tiera.
While the form "Tiera" is the most common, it is not the oldest. In the oldest mention of the name, it is the lizard or its father which is called Iki-Tiitty, Äijyn poika. This does support the iki- suffix over hiki "sweat", as well as emphasizes a connection to Äijä/Äijy/Äijö, a name which later on became demonized. In addition to these beginning suffixes, one version states Hepo Tiera, Nieran poika "Horse Tiera, son of Niera", Judas's bastard child (a reference to the line Äijän poika misunderstood?), planted trees. A North Ostrobothnian variant states that Hiki on niera, tieran poika / Ruman ruutuksen sikijö "Sweat is niera, son of tiera / young child of ugly Herodes".
The one of a kind runosong of the Origin of Sweat (against horse bites) states that sweat is the väki of the horse, sweat is Niera, son of Tiera, and was given birth to by Hiidetär. In any version, it seems to imply that the horse or its sweat is of an origin from the Underworld. An Ingrian runosong uses the word tiera to refer to a war steed or its hoof. Despite any descriptions of being impregnated by wind, the horse is especially described as having been made of sand and foam. The horse is also connected to water: it has a pond on its croup. In Karelian runosongs, the name tiera/tiitty is, for some reason, connected to tihku "drizzle".
I can't say how it's "supposed" to be read. Is there someone named Tiera, a son of Kaleva or someone else, who creates the horse out of sand and foam, the horse ending up quite the watery being (hence connected to sweat), or is the horse itself Tiera? I do think Äijä/Äijy/Äijö is important here, maybe even over any "niera" or "miera".
Only in Finnish, sorry. This is the source material.