NameCensus.

UK surname

Martin

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, which means "of Mars" or "warlike" in Latin.

In the 1881 census there were 73,281 people recorded with the Martin surname, ranking it #29 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112,807, ranked #23, up from #29 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Cambridge and Oxford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Martin is 114,826 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.9%.

1881 census count

73,281

Ranked #29

Modern count

112,807

2016, ranked #23

Peak year

2010

114,826 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Martin had 73,281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112,807 in 2016, ranked #23.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91,923 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Martin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Martin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Martin 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 47,725 #29
1861 historical 49,710 #31
1881 historical 73,281 #29
1891 historical 79,253 #30
1901 historical 91,923 #29
1911 historical 86,586 #34
1997 modern 109,181 #24
1998 modern 113,383 #24
1999 modern 113,792 #24
2000 modern 113,158 #25
2001 modern 110,440 #24
2002 modern 112,956 #24
2003 modern 110,295 #24
2004 modern 110,120 #24
2005 modern 108,246 #24
2006 modern 108,343 #24
2007 modern 109,218 #25
2008 modern 109,718 #25
2009 modern 112,389 #25
2010 modern 114,826 #25
2011 modern 113,331 #25
2012 modern 111,626 #23
2013 modern 113,732 #23
2014 modern 114,483 #23
2015 modern 113,183 #23
2016 modern 112,807 #23

Geography

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Where Martins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Cambridge, Oxford, North Dorset and Shropshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 110 Leeds
2 Cambridge 007 Cambridge
3 Oxford 008 Oxford
4 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
5 Shropshire 038 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Martin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Martin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Martin, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Martin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Martin 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Martin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Martin 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

Martin falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Martin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Martin

The surname Martin is of French origin, derived from the ancient Roman name Martinus, which is a derivative of the name Mars, the Roman god of war. The name became popular across Europe during the Middle Ages, largely due to the influence of Saint Martin of Tours, who lived in the 4th century AD.

The earliest recorded instances of the Martin surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as Martin, Martyn, and Marten, indicating that it was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, many French nobles and soldiers bearing the Martin surname accompanied William the Conqueror. This likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the name across Britain. Over time, the surname also spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany, Italy, and Spain.

One of the earliest notable figures with the Martin surname was William Martin, a 12th-century English judge and landowner. Another prominent individual was Sir Henry Martin (c. 1533-1598), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In France, the Martin surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One example is André Martin (1621-1699), a French Protestant theologian and writer. Another is Étienne Martin (1913-1995), a French Catholic priest and philosopher who played a significant role in the French Resistance during World War II.

The Martin surname has also been prominent in the United States. Among the notable Americans with this surname are John Martin (1789-1854), a 19th-century painter known for his epic landscapes and biblical scenes, and Joseph William Martin Jr. (1884-1971), a prominent Republican politician who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949.

Overall, the Martin surname has a rich history spanning centuries and continents, reflecting its widespread adoption and the diverse achievements of those who have borne this name throughout the ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Martin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Martin surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 8,190 Martins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 8,190 1.14x
Lancashire 5,417 0.63x
Kent 4,991 2.03x
Surrey 4,752 1.36x
Lanarkshire 3,673 1.58x
Yorkshire 2,966 0.42x
Devon 2,645 1.77x
Cornwall 2,437 2.99x
Staffordshire 2,298 0.95x
Sussex 2,295 1.89x
Hampshire 1,936 1.31x
Essex 1,846 1.30x
Durham 1,743 0.81x
Gloucestershire 1,441 1.02x
Warwickshire 1,391 0.77x
Somerset 1,354 1.17x
Angus 1,116 1.67x
Nottinghamshire 1,116 1.15x
Midlothian 1,088 1.13x
Leicestershire 1,079 1.35x
Derbyshire 961 0.85x
Northumberland 894 0.83x
Cumberland 882 1.42x
Suffolk 846 0.97x
Lincolnshire 843 0.73x
Cheshire 825 0.52x
Glamorgan 750 0.60x
Renfrewshire 726 1.30x
Berkshire 686 1.27x
Worcestershire 659 0.70x
Wiltshire 648 1.02x
Ayrshire 645 1.20x
Northamptonshire 645 0.95x
Fife 584 1.37x
Cambridgeshire 551 1.21x
Norfolk 546 0.49x
Hertfordshire 530 1.07x
Aberdeenshire 509 0.76x
Dorset 484 1.02x
Shropshire 441 0.71x
Perthshire 427 1.32x
Inverness-shire 421 1.96x
Buckinghamshire 386 0.89x
Channel Islands 355 1.66x
Stirlingshire 348 1.31x
Bedfordshire 321 0.86x
Ross-shire 312 1.58x
Monmouthshire 294 0.57x
Argyllshire 255 1.27x
Dunbartonshire 252 1.30x
Oxfordshire 241 0.54x
West Lothian 211 1.95x
Dumfriesshire 194 1.22x
Berwickshire 185 2.12x
Wigtownshire 167 1.75x
Herefordshire 159 0.54x
Huntingdonshire 136 0.95x
Pembrokeshire 135 0.59x
Royal Navy 120 1.40x
Denbighshire 119 0.44x
Flintshire 115 0.59x
Kirkcudbrightshire 105 1.01x
Westmorland 105 0.66x
Isle of Man 103 0.77x
Roxburghshire 89 0.68x
Kincardineshire 82 0.94x
Buteshire 67 1.54x
East Lothian 62 0.65x
Clackmannanshire 61 1.03x
Brecknockshire 60 0.42x
Rutland 54 1.02x
Selkirkshire 51 0.78x
Morayshire 49 0.44x
Anglesey 47 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 45 0.15x
Peeblesshire 32 0.95x
Banffshire 31 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 24 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 22 0.13x
Caithness 19 0.19x
Nairnshire 17 0.77x
Sutherland 16 0.29x
Kinross-shire 14 0.77x
Radnorshire 9 0.16x
Cardiganshire 8 0.05x
Shetland 4 0.05x
Merionethshire 3 0.02x
Orkney 2 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 925 Martins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

Place Total Index
Barony 925 1.57x
Islington London 863 1.24x
Govan 853 1.48x
Lambeth 816 1.30x
Glasgow 655 1.58x
St Pancras London 617 1.07x
Birmingham 535 0.88x
Camberwell 526 1.14x
Liverpool 508 0.98x
Dundee 502 2.02x
Portsea 482 1.67x
St Marylebone London 451 1.17x
Hackney London 443 1.10x
Brighton 439 1.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 438 1.13x
Kensington London 413 1.03x
Aston 407 0.81x
Croydon 393 2.02x
Tonbridge 377 4.26x
Shoreditch London 375 1.20x
Battersea 372 1.40x
Deptford St Paul 370 1.95x
Bermondsey 351 1.64x
Bethnal Green London 342 1.09x
Newington 323 1.22x
Nottingham St Mary 318 1.27x
Leicester St Margaret 309 1.59x
West Ham 307 0.98x
Manchester 293 0.76x
Everton 290 1.07x
Paddington London 278 1.05x
Old Monkland 277 3.00x
Chelsea London 264 1.22x
Stoke Damerel 260 2.48x
Mile End Old Town 255 2.24x
Sheffield 254 1.12x
Plymouth St Andrew 251 2.18x
Toxteth Park 250 0.86x
West Derby 249 1.00x
Greenwich 243 2.12x
Maidstone 237 3.24x
St George Hanover 235 2.50x
West Bromwich 228 1.64x
Lewisham 211 1.61x
Poplar London 208 1.53x
Wolverhampton 204 1.09x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 193 1.45x
Plymouth Charles The 190 2.88x
Bedminster 189 1.74x
Southwark St George Martyr 189 1.31x
Salford 188 0.75x
Milton In Gravesend 184 5.00x
St George In East 184 3.76x
Tottenham 181 1.58x
Leeds 176 0.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 176 0.68x
Kirkdale 172 1.20x
Holy Trinity 171 1.00x
Southampton St Mary 171 1.84x
Liff Benvie 169 1.67x
Barrow In Furness 165 1.42x
Preston 162 0.71x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 159 1.28x
Aberdeen Old Machar 157 1.13x
Hulme 156 0.88x
Hammersmith London 153 0.86x
Woolwich 153 1.69x
Clerkenwell London 147 0.87x
Bishopwearmouth 145 0.79x
Bromley London 145 0.92x
St Luke London 145 1.26x
Chatham 144 2.13x
Gateshead 144 0.90x
Gwennap 141 9.17x
Falkirk 137 2.21x
Hove 134 2.52x
West Greenock 132 1.32x
Westminster St John 130 1.48x
St Stithians 128 28.50x
Birkenhead 125 0.99x
Sculcoates 125 1.11x
Westoe 123 1.01x
Cheltenham 120 1.10x
Illogan 120 5.56x
Middlesbrough 119 1.28x
Kingston On Thames 118 1.40x
Fulham London 116 1.11x
Kenwyn 114 5.35x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Martin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4,053
Elizabeth 2,443
Sarah 2,020
Jane 1,258
Ann 1,092
Eliza 1,046
Ellen 987
Emma 958
Alice 954
Annie 907
Emily 814
Margaret 570
Hannah 536
Harriet 436
Louisa 434
Martha 421
Edith 401
Catherine 389
Caroline 386
Charlotte 368
Maria 367
Fanny 356
Florence 326
Ada 321
Kate 299
Susan 282
Lucy 243
Clara 242
Rose 238
Anne 236
Frances 228
Harriett 227
Agnes 217
Julia 196
Matilda 173
Isabella 172
Amelia 167
Esther 156
Sophia 151
Jessie 146
Elizth. 138
Rebecca 137
Amy 134
Eleanor 123
Minnie 123
Grace 116
Susannah 109
Gertrude 99
Ethel 98
Laura 96

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Martin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 3,823
John 3,610
George 2,143
James 2,010
Thomas 1,976
Henry 1,502
Charles 1,227
Joseph 991
Robert 741
Alfred 706
Edward 690
Frederick 608
Richard 518
Arthur 509
Samuel 507
Walter 434
Albert 421
Harry 342
Frank 289
Ernest 253
David 246
Edwin 239
Herbert 199
Francis 183
Stephen 154
Wm. 145
Benjamin 141
Patrick 131
Peter 125
Thos. 118
Daniel 113
Michael 112
Fred 94
Isaac 93
Alexander 86
Geo. 77
Fredrick 76
Fredk. 71
Andrew 69
Tom 69
Christopher 64
Matthew 62
Willm. 60
Philip 58
Sidney 57
Hugh 50
Chas. 49
Leonard 49
Percy 48
Horace 46

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Martin households.

FAQ

Martin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Martin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73,281 people were recorded with the Martin surname. That placed it at #29 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Martin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112,807 in 2016. That gives Martin a modern rank of #23.

What does the Martin surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, which means "of Mars" or "warlike" in Latin.

What does the Martin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Martin 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.