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Martin Family History

Martin Surname Meaning

English Scottish Irish French Walloon Breton Dutch Flemish German Czech Slovak Croatian Italian (Veneto); Spanish (Martín): from a personal name derived from Latin Martinus itself a derivative of Mars genitive Martis the Roman god of fertility and war whose name may derive ultimately from a root mar ‘gleam’. This was borne by a famous 4th-century Christian saint Martin of Tours and consequently became extremely popular throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. In North America the surname Martin has absorbed cognates and derivatives from other languages e.g. Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia) Marcin Albanian Martini Polish surnames beginning with Marcin- and Slovenian patronymics like Martinčič (see Martincic ). Martin is the most frequent surname in France and one of the most frequent surnames in Wallonia. English: variant of Marton . Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Mártain ‘descendant of Martin’ (compare 1 above). Otherwise a shortened form of Gilmartin or McMartin ; sometimes also spelled Martyn.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Marton, Marin, Marvin, Martins, Marti, Marcin, Martina, Martie, Main

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Martin family from?

You can see how Martin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Martin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Martin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 909 Martin families living in New York. This was about 12% of all the recorded Martin's in USA. New York had the highest population of Martin families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Martin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Martin ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Martin. 15% of Martin men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Martin women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Martin were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Martin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Martin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Martin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Martin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 530,000 immigration records available for the last name Martin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 764,000 military records available for the last name Martin. For the veterans among your Martin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Martin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Martin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Martin in 1940 was 41, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Martin

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