Martinson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Martin.”
The #4,412 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,363 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Martinson is an English patronymic surname built from the given name Martin plus -son, meaning “son of Martin.” The forename Martin comes ultimately from Latin Martinus, a name associated with the Roman god Mars and often understood as “warlike.” In practice, the surname simply identifies someone as descended from or connected with a man named Martin.
History
The name appears in English records as a straightforward derivative of Martin, and nineteenth-century surname writers treated it as one of Martin’s common offshoots. It has survived in Britain and North America, though it is much less common than Martin itself. Because it is transparent in form, it may also have arisen independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older surname books treat Martin as one of the most widespread personal names in Europe, which helps explain why patronymics like Martinson turn up in several countries.
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)