Martz
A surname usually connected with Martin or a similar name shortened and reshaped in German-speaking areas.
The #4,309 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,424 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Martz is generally treated as a German surname formed from a short form of Martin, the widespread Christian personal name from Latin Martinus. In older German naming, this kind of clipped or altered form often developed as a surname from a father's given name. The final -z can reflect regional spelling and pronunciation rather than a separate root.
History
The excerpted source groups Martz with other names derived from Martinus, which supports a patronymic explanation. Spellings like Martz are found in German-speaking and German-American records, where surnames were often written in several local variants. In the United States, the name has remained relatively uncommon but persistent, especially in families of German descent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because German spelling was not fully standardized for many centuries, the same family line could appear under Martz, Marts, or related forms in different records.
From the historical record
“Mertke. Mftrtlliuber s. Martinus u. Huber. Maitsch, Martz- s. Mai- (einst. K.). Marx s. Marcus. Maseh III. s. Marsch. Massolt s. Mait. Masnhr III. slawischer Yolksstamm der Ma-”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen