Martin Boy

Popularity: #317 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MAR-tin /ˈmɑːrtɪn/

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: of Mars; English: warrior

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Martin derives from the Latin name Martinus, which is a diminutive form of the name Mars, the Roman god of war. The etymological roots can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European word *mārs, which signifies 'male' or 'manly.' The name entered the English language through the Old French form Martin, which was adopted after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, facilitating its integration into Middle English.

Historically, the name Martin is closely associated with Saint Martin of Tours, a prominent figure in early Christianity who lived during the 4th century. He is best known for his acts of charity, particularly the famous story of sharing his cloak with a beggar.

Saint Martin became one of the most revered saints in Western Christianity, and his feast day is celebrated on November 11. His influence helped popularize the name throughout Europe, especially in regions where his cult was strong, such as France and Germany.

The name Martin has maintained cultural significance over the centuries, often symbolizing qualities such as bravery and compassion, reflecting the attributes associated with its saintly namesake. It has been borne by various notable historical figures, including several kings and popes, which further cemented its status in both religious and secular contexts.

Additionally, the name has been used in various literary works and has appeared in significant translations, including the King James Bible, where it is mentioned in relation to early Christian figures. The enduring legacy of the name is also seen in its various diminutive forms, such as Marty, which have been used in different cultures.

Famous people named Martin

In this section, you will find notable people named Martin. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Martin who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Martin who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Martin Scorsese is a director best known for Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and The Irishman.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a civil rights leader best known for his role in the American civil rights movement, his 'I Have a Dream' speech, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Martin Freeman is an actor best known for The Hobbit, Sherlock, and The Office (UK).

Martin Short is an actor and comedian best known for SCTV, Three Amigos, and Father of the Bride.

Martin Garrix is a DJ and music producer best known for Animals, Scared to Be Lonely, and There for You.

Martin Sheen is an actor best known for Apocalypse Now, The West Wing, and The Departed.

Martin Solveig is a DJ and music producer best known for Hello, The Night Out, and Places.

Fictional characters named Martin

The following list of fictional characters named Martin is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Martin Prince is a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is a smart and studious classmate of Bart Simpson, often portrayed as a nerdy character.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Martin, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MatthewMarkLukeJohnPaulJamesThomas

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Martin. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MarvinMasonMarlonMarcusMarekMartyMarius

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Martin was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Martin has ranked as high as #135 nationally, which occurred in 1963, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Martin has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Martin is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Martin was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Martin.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,009 1,009 0
2024 1,105 1,105 0
2023 1,152 1,152 0
2022 1,108 1,108 0
2021 1,103 1,103 0
2020 1,168 1,168 0
2019 1,253 1,253 0
2018 1,296 1,296 0
2017 1,283 1,283 0
2016 1,396 1,396 0
2015 1,344 1,344 0
2014 1,439 1,434 5
2013 1,346 1,346 0
2012 1,350 1,350 0
2011 1,321 1,321 0
2010 1,333 1,333 0
2009 1,526 1,526 0
2008 1,700 1,700 0
2007 1,887 1,881 6
2006 1,947 1,942 5
2005 1,844 1,836 8
2004 1,858 1,858 0
2003 1,889 1,889 0
2002 1,966 1,959 7
2001 2,066 2,061 5
2000 2,110 2,110 0
1999 2,036 2,036 0
1998 2,073 2,068 5
1997 2,239 2,230 9
1996 2,290 2,282 8
1995 2,412 2,398 14
1994 2,607 2,594 13
1993 2,840 2,818 22
1992 2,948 2,932 16
1991 2,908 2,893 15
1990 3,106 3,080 26
1989 2,817 2,797 20
1988 2,671 2,652 19
1987 2,436 2,406 30
1986 2,414 2,377 37
1985 2,159 2,136 23
1984 2,157 2,136 21
1983 2,191 2,175 16
1982 2,197 2,169 28
1981 2,170 2,151 19
1980 2,249 2,227 22
1979 2,043 2,019 24
1978 2,069 2,050 19
1977 2,179 2,155 24
1976 2,182 2,168 14
1975 2,177 2,162 15
1974 2,390 2,371 19
1973 2,416 2,399 17
1972 2,442 2,421 21
1971 3,039 3,022 17
1970 3,519 3,500 19
1969 3,780 3,758 22
1968 4,100 4,073 27
1967 3,855 3,834 21
1966 4,232 4,210 22
1965 4,958 4,932 26
1964 5,759 5,727 32
1963 6,091 6,073 18
1962 5,557 5,538 19
1961 5,496 5,476 20
1960 5,510 5,495 15
1959 5,368 5,353 15
1958 5,681 5,669 12
1957 5,985 5,965 20
1956 5,693 5,682 11
1955 5,088 5,068 20
1954 4,986 4,968 18
1953 4,789 4,778 11
1952 4,749 4,735 14
1951 4,607 4,596 11
1950 4,191 4,180 11
1949 3,913 3,903 10
1948 3,709 3,698 11
1947 3,737 3,724 13
1946 3,341 3,333 8
1945 2,830 2,823 7
1944 2,777 2,767 10
1943 3,090 3,081 9
1942 3,053 3,045 8
1941 2,615 2,605 10
1940 2,433 2,423 10
1939 2,204 2,192 12
1938 2,321 2,313 8
1937 2,291 2,278 13
1936 2,119 2,106 13
1935 2,131 2,116 15
1934 2,191 2,178 13
1933 2,078 2,064 14
1932 2,273 2,255 18
1931 2,115 2,103 12
1930 2,338 2,322 16
1929 2,333 2,308 25
1928 2,445 2,428 17
1927 2,404 2,383 21
1926 2,511 2,493 18
1925 2,430 2,417 13
1924 2,467 2,452 15
1923 2,476 2,460 16
1922 2,415 2,402 13
1921 2,476 2,461 15
1920 2,449 2,439 10
1919 2,219 2,204 15
1918 2,403 2,403 0
1917 2,343 2,336 7
1916 2,133 2,122 11
1915 2,086 2,070 16
1914 1,690 1,676 14
1913 1,269 1,259 10
1912 1,072 1,064 8
1911 575 567 8
1910 403 396 7
1909 397 391 6
1908 331 331 0
1907 335 329 6
1906 334 334 0
1905 332 332 0
1904 334 334 0
1903 283 283 0
1902 325 325 0
1901 309 304 5
1900 383 383 0
1899 260 260 0
1898 346 339 7
1897 312 312 0
1896 343 343 0
1895 317 317 0
1894 299 299 0
1893 347 347 0
1892 359 359 0
1891 331 331 0
1890 352 347 5
1889 367 367 0
1888 378 378 0
1887 336 331 5
1886 329 329 0
1885 357 357 0
1884 385 385 0
1883 377 377 0
1882 387 387 0
1881 327 327 0
1880 357 357 0

Top States for Martin (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 161
15%
TX 150
14%
FL 87
8%
NY 64
6%
IL 54
5%
AZ 43
4%
NJ 40
4%
WI 25
2%
GA 25
2%
TN 25
2%
NC 24
2%
MI 24
2%
MN 23
2%
PA 23
2%
CO 23
2%
MA 21
2%
IN 19
2%
WA 19
2%
OH 18
2%
MD 18
2%
AL 17
2%
VA 15
1%
UT 15
1%
OR 13
1%
NV 12
1%
MO 11
1%
LA 11
1%
NE 11
1%
IA 11
1%
KS 10
1%
SC 10
1%
OK 9
1%
KY 8
1%
NM 8
1%
CT 7
1%
DC 6
1%
MT 5
0%
AR 5
0%
ID 5
0%