NameCensus.

UK surname

Martinez

A patronymic surname of Spanish origin meaning "son of Martín," derived from the Roman name Martinus, meaning "of Mars."

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Martinez surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,658, ranked #2,513, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Martinez is 2,658 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7954.5%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

2,658

2016, ranked #2,513

Peak year

2016

2,658 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • • Martinez had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • • The latest modern count shown here is 2,658 in 2016, ranked #2,513.
  • • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 88 in 1911.
  • • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Martinez surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Martinez surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Martinez 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 22 #31,140
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 10 #33,355
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 88 #24,041
1997 modern 1,340 #4,293
1998 modern 1,432 #4,203
1999 modern 1,525 #4,020
2000 modern 1,554 #3,947
2001 modern 1,506 #3,971
2002 modern 1,619 #3,805
2003 modern 1,635 #3,694
2004 modern 1,673 #3,628
2005 modern 1,725 #3,498
2006 modern 1,742 #3,476
2007 modern 1,812 #3,383
2008 modern 1,898 #3,278
2009 modern 2,027 #3,178
2010 modern 2,223 #2,986
2011 modern 2,263 #2,905
2012 modern 2,357 #2,754
2013 modern 2,488 #2,679
2014 modern 2,595 #2,590
2015 modern 2,621 #2,548
2016 modern 2,658 #2,513

Geography

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Where Martinez' 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 Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Manchester, Monmouthshire and Lambeth. 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 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Westminster 005 Westminster
3 Manchester 032 Manchester
4 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
5 Lambeth 004 Lambeth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Martinez

These lists show first names that appear often with the Martinez 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 Martinez

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Martinez surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Martinez 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Martinez 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

Martinez 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

Martinez falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Martinez 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 Martinez, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Martinez

The surname Martinez is of Spanish origin, specifically from the Iberian Peninsula. It first emerged in the late 11th century during the time of the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

The name is derived from the ancient Roman name Martinus, which in turn comes from the name of the Roman god Mars, the god of war. Martinus was a popular name among early Christians, and it gave rise to many surnames across Europe, including Martinez in Spain.

Martinez is a patronymic surname, meaning it originally denoted "son of Martin." The suffix "-ez" was added to the root name to indicate this. Over time, the name became hereditary and passed down through generations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Martinez surname can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript from the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. This text mentions several individuals with the name Martinez, including a knight named Rodrigo Martinez who fought in the Battle of Clavijo in the year 844.

The Martinez name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile, Andalusia, and Galicia during the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, a prominent Martinez family held lands and titles in the Galician town of Monforte de Lemos.

Notable individuals with the surname Martinez throughout history include:

1. Diego Martinez de Villamayor (c. 1450 - c. 1505), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Cuba and Jamaica. 2. Gregorio Martinez (1576 - 1636), a Spanish colonial administrator and the first governor of Nueva Vizcaya, a province in northern Mexico. 3. Sebastián Martínez y Pérez (1759 - 1800), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who led expeditions to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the late 18th century. 4. Maximino Martínez (1888 - 1964), a Mexican revolutionary and military leader who fought alongside Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution. 5. María Martínez (1887 - 1980), a renowned Native American potter from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico, renowned for her black-on-black pottery style.

Throughout the centuries, the Martinez surname has become widespread across Spain and Latin America, carried by Spanish settlers and explorers to the Americas during the colonial era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Martinez families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Martinez 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. Lancashire leads with 9 Martinez' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 2.36x
Middlesex 9 2.80x
Cheshire 4 5.63x
Surrey 4 2.55x
Northumberland 3 6.27x
Bedfordshire 2 12.01x
Gloucestershire 1 1.59x
Hertfordshire 1 4.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 7 Martinez' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.20x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 7 30.20x
Birkenhead 4 70.67x
St Marylebone London 4 23.30x
Longbenton 3 147.78x
St Bride London 3 1578.95x
Barnes 2 303.03x
Bedford St Paul 2 175.44x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 66.01x
Putney 2 136.05x
Bristol St Michael 1 185.19x
Paddington London 1 8.45x
St Katherine 1 2500.00x
Standon 1 434.78x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
D. 2
Jose 2
Robert 2
Aaron 1
Adrian 1
Agustin 1
Federico 1
Francisco 1
Gustave 1
Juanguin 1
Manuel 1
Michael 1
Vicente 1
Zuan 1

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 Martinez households.

FAQ

Martinez surname: questions and answers

How common was the Martinez surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Martinez surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Martinez surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,658 in 2016. That gives Martinez a modern rank of #2,513.

What does the Martinez surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Spanish origin meaning "son of Martín," derived from the Roman name Martinus, meaning "of Mars."

What does the Martinez map show?

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