Marten
Usually a form of Martin, though some early writers also linked it to the marten, a small fur-bearing weasel-like animal.
The #8,928 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,219 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Marten is most often treated as a variant of Martin, the medieval Christian personal name ultimately from Latin Martinus, meaning “of Mars” or “belonging to Mars.” Some older surname writers also proposed a nickname source from the marten, the small animal whose fur was valued in medieval trade. That animal name passed through Old French and Middle English and is ultimately of Germanic origin.
History
In English records, Marten is usually just one of several spellings related to Martin, Martyn, and Martens. Some sources specifically note it as a Dutch-style form or as an English spelling variation. The name also appears in local and family histories, including Sussex bearers said to have come from Aquitaine, though that tradition should be treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because of its similarity to the animal name, Marten was sometimes explained as a nickname surname even when it may simply have been a spelling of Martin.
From the historical record
“Robert Martel.— /f«««;. Rolls. MARTEN (A.-Fr.-Lat.) for Martin, q.v. (A.-Fr.-Teut.) a nickname from the , Marten or Weasel [for martern, M.E. O.Fr. »!ar<n«, of marten's fur; M.E. O.Fr. martre, L.Lat. (pi.) martures; of Teut. origin]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)