Martins
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Martin,” ultimately from the Latin name Martinus.
The #3,050 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,274 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Martins is a patronymic form built on the medieval given name Martin, with an added -s that originally meant “son of.” Martin itself comes from Latin Martinus, a name associated with Mars, the Roman god of war, so the underlying sense is “belonging to Mars” or “warlike.” In English surname use, Martins is closely related to Martin, Martinson, and Martyn.
History
The surname appears in English records as an inherited family name from the Middle Ages onward, and historical surname writers treat Martins as one of the common descendant forms of Martin. It is especially frequent in England and later spread widely through migration and colonial-era movement. In some contexts, particularly in continental Europe, similar-looking forms may also reflect local patronymic patterns rather than strictly English development.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often grouped Martins with Martinson as a straightforward “son of Martin” formation, showing how productive the old Christian name was as a surname base.
From the historical record
“MARTINS, Martin's (Son) 1 MARTINSON, Martin's Son J ^' MARTLAND, for Markland, q.v. MARTON (Eng.) Bel. to Marton = the Pool- Farmstead [O.E. mere + tiin] MARTYN = Martin, q.v. MARVIN (Eng.) i Sea-Finn [A.-Sax. Merefin— mere, sea, lake -1- the national name]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)