NameCensus.

UK surname

Marta

A form of the name Martha or a Spanish surname meaning "the lady."

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston, Lambeth and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marta is 139 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

2012

139 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 28 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Marta surname distribution map

The map shows where the Marta surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Marta surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marta over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4 #32,658
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 10 #33,026
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 12 #36,785
1998 modern 13 #36,679
1999 modern 17 #36,261
2000 modern 20 #35,915
2001 modern 20 #35,754
2002 modern 20 #35,894
2003 modern 23 #35,650
2004 modern 33 #34,947
2005 modern 46 #34,081
2006 modern 64 #32,839
2007 modern 83 #31,183
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 128 #26,490
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Martas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, Brent and Ealing. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 002 Boston
2 Lambeth 027 Lambeth
3 Waltham Forest 017 Waltham Forest
4 Brent 025 Brent
5 Ealing 038 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marta

These lists show first names that appear often with the Marta surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marta

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marta, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Marta surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Marta household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Marta is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marta is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marta falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marta is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Marta, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Marta

The surname Marta is of Italian origin, deriving from the female given name Marta, which in turn comes from the Aramaic name Martha. The name Martha is recorded in the Bible as the name of a woman who hosted Jesus Christ in her home. The earliest known use of Marta as a surname dates back to the 13th century in regions of northern Italy such as Tuscany and Lombardy.

Marta is believed to have originated as a habitational surname, referring to someone who lived near a church or place dedicated to Saint Martha. In Italy, there are numerous towns and villages with names like Santa Marta or Marta, which could have contributed to the surname's emergence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Marta can be found in the Estimo Fiorentino, a tax record from Florence dated 1427, which lists several individuals with the surname Marta.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the surname was the Italian painter and architect Gian Battista Marta (1536-1599), who was born in Valduggia and worked in Milan and other cities in northern Italy.

Another historical figure with the surname Marta was the Italian Jesuit priest and missionary Giacomo Antonio Marta (1619-1678), who served in Mexico and authored several works on the indigenous languages of New Spain.

During the 17th century, the surname Marta was also present in Spain, as evidenced by the birth of the Spanish painter and engraver Juan de Marta y Rojas (1634-1705) in Madrid.

In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the surname was the Italian poet and scholar Giovanni Marta (1830-1893), who published works on the dialects of Tuscany and was a member of the Accademia della Crusca.

Another notable figure with the surname Marta was the Italian politician and lawyer Eugenio Marta (1871-1945), who served as a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Marta surname: questions and answers

How common is the Marta surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Marta a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Marta surname mean?

A form of the name Martha or a Spanish surname meaning "the lady."

What does the Marta map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Marta bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.