Martino
A Romance surname that usually comes from the personal name Martinus, ultimately linked to Mars, the Roman god of war.
The #2,746 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,518 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Martino is the Romance form of the old personal name Martinus, which was widespread in medieval Europe. Martinus is traditionally connected with Mars, the Roman god of war, so the original sense is roughly 'of Mars' or 'war-like.' As a surname, Martino usually began as a name-based identifier, meaning 'son of Martin' or 'belonging to Martin.'
History
The name spread widely through Christian Europe because of the popularity of Saint Martin of Tours, so it often became both a given name and, later, a hereditary surname. Martino is especially familiar in Italian and Spanish contexts, and related forms appear across Portuguese, French, and other Romance-speaking areas. In some cases the surname may also reflect local naming customs rather than a direct single-line descent from one Martin ancestor.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Saint Martin was so popular in medieval Europe, surnames built from his name became common in several different languages, not just one.
From the historical record
“ciudad. C( Afonso Martínez Caballero , Don Joan Martínez, Pedro Pérez Compañón , Veúio Rodríguez , Pav Rodríguez, Pay Pérez dito Rey , Martino de Vendor, Alfonso Eanes, Scljastian Domínguez, Alfonso Eanes da Ruamíña , Domin- go Migueles do Campo, Miguel Domínguez, Fernán Do- mínguez da Rúa de Vermun Sánchez , Joan…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos