NameCensus.

UK surname

Martins

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, referring to someone who was the son of Martin.

In the 1881 census there were 491 people recorded with the Martins surname, ranking it #6,865 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,159, ranked #2,145, up from #6,865 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shottesham St Mary and St Martin, Shottesham All Saints, Towednack and Ludgvan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lambeth, Brent and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Martins is 3,159 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 543.4%.

1881 census count

491

Ranked #6,865

Modern count

3,159

2016, ranked #2,145

Peak year

2016

3,159 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Martins had 491 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,865 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,159 in 2016, ranked #2,145.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,126 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Martins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Martins surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Martins 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 469 #5,291
1861 historical 1,126 #2,491
1881 historical 491 #6,865
1891 historical 780 #5,149
1901 historical 409 #9,338
1911 historical 605 #6,798
1997 modern 1,190 #4,740
1998 modern 1,290 #4,610
1999 modern 1,326 #4,515
2000 modern 1,332 #4,470
2001 modern 1,291 #4,508
2002 modern 1,472 #4,130
2003 modern 1,581 #3,807
2004 modern 1,724 #3,531
2005 modern 1,924 #3,186
2006 modern 2,090 #2,968
2007 modern 2,200 #2,867
2008 modern 2,323 #2,741
2009 modern 2,525 #2,622
2010 modern 2,742 #2,487
2011 modern 2,654 #2,532
2012 modern 2,824 #2,366
2013 modern 2,964 #2,301
2014 modern 3,033 #2,257
2015 modern 3,027 #2,236
2016 modern 3,159 #2,145

Geography

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Where Martins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shottesham St Mary and St Martin, Shottesham All Saints, Towednack, Ludgvan, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lambeth, Brent and Westminster. 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 Shottesham St Mary and St Martin, Shottesham All Saints Norfolk
2 Towednack Cornwall
3 Ludgvan Cornwall
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lambeth 006 Lambeth
2 Lambeth 008 Lambeth
3 Brent 014 Brent
4 Brent 031 Brent
5 Westminster 015 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Martins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Martins

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

Martins 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

Martins 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 Martins 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 Martins, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Martins

The surname MARTINS originated in Portugal and Spain during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Latin name Martinus, which was a derivation of the Roman god Mars, the god of war. The name was initially used as a given name before becoming a hereditary surname.

MARTINS was a common surname in medieval Portugal and Spain, especially in regions like Lisbon, Porto, and Galicia. It was often used to denote a relationship to someone named Martin or to indicate a place of origin associated with the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MARTINS can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record from the 13th century. This manuscript mentions several individuals with the surname MARTINS, including Martim Martins, a prominent nobleman and military commander during the Reconquista.

In the 14th century, the surname MARTINS appeared in records from the Monastery of Alcobaça, one of the wealthiest and most influential monasteries in Portugal at the time. These records document several MARTINS families who lived in the surrounding areas and had connections to the monastery.

One notable individual with the surname MARTINS was Pedro Martins, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1498. He was born in Lagos, Portugal, around 1450 and played a crucial role in establishing trade relations with the East.

In Spain, the MARTINS surname was also prevalent, particularly in regions like Galicia and Asturias. One famous bearer of the name was Juan Martins, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his circumnavigation of the globe. He was born in Seville, Spain, around 1480.

Another notable individual with the surname MARTINS was Diogo Martins, a 17th-century Portuguese priest and missionary who traveled to Japan and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in the region. He was born in Lisbon around 1600 and spent several decades working in Japan until his death in 1661.

During the 18th century, the MARTINS surname gained prominence in Brazil, where many Portuguese immigrants settled. One notable Brazilian with the surname was Joaquim José Martins Torres, a 19th-century politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Brazil from 1848 to 1853.

In the 20th century, the MARTINS surname continued to be widespread in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil, as well as in other parts of the world where Portuguese and Spanish communities had established themselves.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Martins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Martins 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. Norfolk leads with 209 Martins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.44x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 209 28.44x
Cornwall 62 11.46x
Middlesex 59 1.23x
Yorkshire 24 0.51x
Essex 22 2.33x
Lancashire 18 0.32x
Surrey 15 0.64x
Devon 11 1.11x
Glamorgan 10 1.20x
Staffordshire 10 0.62x
Warwickshire 8 0.66x
Shropshire 7 1.70x
Kent 5 0.31x
Lanarkshire 4 0.26x
Lincolnshire 4 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.62x
Sussex 4 0.50x
Durham 3 0.21x
Cheshire 2 0.19x
Leicestershire 2 0.38x
Orkney 2 3.80x
Worcestershire 2 0.32x
Fife 1 0.35x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 1.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Towednack in Cornwall leads with 27 Martins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2547.17x.

Place Total Index
Towednack 27 2547.17x
Great Yarmouth 23 37.78x
Palling 18 2400.00x
Runton 17 2048.19x
St Ives 17 160.53x
Islington London 14 3.02x
Flordon 13 4482.76x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 12 251.57x
West Ham 12 5.76x
Lakenham 11 105.36x
Hindringham 10 1041.67x
Newton In Makerfield 10 57.57x
Shottesham St Mary 10 1923.08x
Heigham 9 22.82x
Ingoldisthorpe 9 1764.71x
Madron 9 205.95x
Shipley 9 36.62x
Bradford 8 6.98x
East Donyland 7 308.37x
Oulton 7 1129.03x
Shifnal 7 62.44x
Tipton 7 14.17x
Bermondsey 6 4.22x
Bow London 6 9.86x
Cardiff St Mary 6 13.09x
Little Ellingham 6 1153.85x
Norwich St Etheldred 6 576.92x
Stoke Damerel 6 8.62x
Brancaster 5 396.83x
Clerkenwell London 5 4.43x
East Dereham 5 53.88x
Hackney London 5 1.87x
Kenilworth 5 73.64x
St Marylebone London 5 1.96x
Aylsham 4 91.53x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.93x
Brighton 4 2.46x
Douglas 4 89.69x
East Looe 4 182.65x
Lutton 4 317.46x
Rotherham 4 14.98x
Shottesham All Sts 4 645.16x
Smallburgh 4 459.77x
Terrington St Clement 4 120.48x
Aberdare 3 5.25x
Edgbaston 3 8.03x
Gomersal 3 13.57x
Ingham 3 400.00x
Kirstead 3 909.09x
Norwich St Peter Southgate 3 326.09x
Poplar London 3 3.33x
Salford 3 1.80x
Southwark St John 3 20.52x
St Pancras London 3 0.78x
Tuttington 3 937.50x
Aylmerton 2 400.00x
Barnham Broom 2 273.97x
Birsay Harray 2 52.36x
Chelsea London 2 1.39x
Clapham 2 3.35x
Clenchwarton 2 183.49x
Cottesbach 2 666.67x
Dartmouth St Savior 2 168.07x
Devonport 2 17.50x
Kensington London 2 0.75x
Leyton Low 2 10.43x
Madron Penzance 2 10.16x
Newington 2 1.13x
Newton Flotman 2 425.53x
North Meols 2 3.60x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.20x
Rochdale 2 48.31x
St George In East 2 6.15x
Stockton On Tees 2 2.92x
Stone In Dartford 2 47.85x
Trunch 2 270.27x
Wolverhampton 2 1.61x
Basford 1 3.37x
Honing 1 188.68x
Leyton 1 6.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 25
Sarah 22
Ann 14
Emma 12
Jane 12
Emily 7
Ada 6
Alice 6
Anna 6
Catherine 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Annie 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Lizzie 3
Margaret 3
Sophia 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elenor 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Melia 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Auguste 1
Beatrice 1
Betsey 1
E. 1
Edemie 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellinor 1
Georgeanne 1
Georgianna 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Herbert 1
Isabella 1
Jessica 1
Zipporah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 26
Thomas 15
Robert 13
James 12
George 11
Charles 8
Henry 7
Edward 5
Walter 5
Frederick 4
Arthur 3
Jeremiah 3
Martin 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Abraham 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Fredrick 2
Joseph 2
Cubit 1
Cyril 1
Dick 1
Domanic 1
E. 1
Elizabeth 1
Emanuel 1
Emil 1
Emmanuel 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Gerge 1
Hinvich 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Johh 1
Joshua 1
Jules 1
Julus 1
Laurence 1
Martins 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Martins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Martins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 491 people were recorded with the Martins surname. That placed it at #6,865 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Martins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,159 in 2016. That gives Martins a modern rank of #2,145.

What does the Martins surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, referring to someone who was the son of Martin.

What does the Martins map show?

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