MARTIN Surname Meaning and Origin

Mars, Roman god of war, 1569, by an anonymous artist
Print Collector/Getty Images / Getty Images

Martin is a patronymic surname taken from the ancient Latin given name Martinus, derived from Mars, the Roman god of fertility and war.

Surname Origin: English, French, Scottish, Irish, German and others

Alternate Surname Spellings: MARTEN, MARTINE, MARTAIN, MARTYN, MERTEN, LAMARTINE, MACMARTIN, MACGILLMARTIN, MARTINEAU, MARTINELLI, MARTINETTI, MARTIJN

Fun Facts About the Martin Surname

One of the early notable English MARTIN families was a strong seafaring family residing primarily in Leicester, England. Representatives include Admiral Sir Thomas Martin, Captain Matthew Martin and John Martin who sailed around the world with Sir Francis Drake.

Famous People With the Surname MARTIN

  • John Martin - English painter
  • George R. R. Martin - American science fiction and fantasy writer
  • Max Martin - Swedish producer/songwriter
  • Del Martin - lesbian activist

Genealogy Resources for the Surname MARTIN

100 Most Common U.S. Surnames & Their Meanings
Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?

Martin DNA Group Project
Using the male Y-DNA the project intends to sort out the many Martin / Martain / Martyn / Merten families and to find their origins. All Martin researchers are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Martin Family Crest - It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Martin family crest or coat of arms for the Martin surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. 

MARTIN Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Martin surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Martin genealogy query.

FamilySearch - MARTIN Genealogy
Explore over 15 million historical records which mention individuals with the Martin surname and its variations, as well as online Martin family trees.

MARTIN Surname & Family Mailing Lists
RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Martin surname.

DistantCousin.com - MARTIN Genealogy & Family History
Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Martin.

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References: Surname Meanings & Origins

  • Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
  • Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.
  • Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.
  • Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
  • Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

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Powell, Kimberly. "MARTIN Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo, Sep. 18, 2020, thoughtco.com/martin-name-meaning-and-origin-1422555. Powell, Kimberly. (2020, September 18). MARTIN Surname Meaning and Origin. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/martin-name-meaning-and-origin-1422555 Powell, Kimberly. "MARTIN Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/martin-name-meaning-and-origin-1422555 (accessed March 28, 2024).