The Martin family is one of great distinction and is traceable back to over 1000 years.  The name Martin (Latin Martinus) is a derivative of Mars, the Roman god of fertility and war.  The name was extremely popular throughout Europe during the Middle Ages when boys were named after the famous 4th-century saint, Martin of Tours.

Many alternate spellings of the name Martin have been found throughout the years. They were typically linked to a common root and Martin is found as an English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, Czech, Flemish, Dutch, Danish, Spanish and Norwegian surname. Variations of the name are Marten, Martius, Martyn, Martine, Lamartine, and Martijn among others. Scribes recorded and spelled the name as it sounded, much like census takers did. It was not unlikely that a person would be born with one spelling, married with another and buried with a headstone which yet showed another. All three spellings related to the same person. Sometimes references for different spelling variations either came from a division of the family or had religious or patriotic reasons. Surnames as we know them were not used until around 1100 A.D. Prior to that time, men were known by only their Christian name and where they lived, such as Martin of Tours, by their occupation such as Henry the Baker, or by any other identifying label such as John the Baptist.

In My Martin Family, the first use of Martin came from William Martin de Tours. But the name “Martin/Martyn” was not used as a surname until the generation of Nicholas Martin, about 1260 A.D. Individuals previous to this generation were almost always recorded as “son of” or “fitz. For example, Robert son of Martin was known as Robert FitzMartin. Oftentimes two generations would be recorded in one name such as William son of Robert son of Martin. Additionally, tradition told that a son could not take the surname of his father until his father died. William was know as FitzMartin in early records until his father, Nicholas, died. At that time, he could take the name William Martin. Historical records have William listed as FitzMartin, FitzRobert, Martin and Martyn. By the middle of the 13th century this naming tradition began to fade away and most males born in a family retained their father’s surname from birth until death. Interestingly though, it was not until 1687 that English rule mandated surname usage – for both England and the English colonies.

Today, in 2014, the Martin surname if the 17th most common surname in the United States and can be found in all 50 states. The 2010 census estimated the population of Martins in the U.S. as 672,711, that’s down from the 2000 census which listed Martin at #16 with 752,300 people.