Martin
A common surname that usually began as a name from Latin Martinus, linked to Mars, the Roman god of war.
The #20 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 439 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Martin comes through Old French and Anglo-French from the Latin personal name Martinus. That name is traditionally connected with Mars, the Roman god of war, so its original sense is roughly “of Mars” or “belonging to Mars.” In England the surname is mostly from the given name Martin rather than directly from the animal-name Marten.
History
The name spread widely in medieval Europe because Saint Martin of Tours made Martin a very popular baptismal name. In England, Martin became a common surname early and remains one of the most frequent surnames today. Some historical writers also noted confusion or overlap with Marten, but the dominant English surname source is the personal name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Saint Martin was so widely revered, Martin became one of the most common surnames in many Christian countries.
From the historical record
“origin] MARTIN (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Martian [M.E. O.Fr. i Martin, Lat. Martin-us ; Lat. Mars, Martis, the god of war] (Eng.) Bel. to Martin, for Marten, q.v. MARTINDALE (Eng.) Bel. to Martindale, for Martondale : v. Marton, and-|- O.E.dml. MARTINEAU, v. the Appendix of Foreign Names [dim. suff. -eau, earlier -el, Lat.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)