Martin
Martin was the 335th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,009 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 1963 (6,073). Over the last ten years it has moved down 60 places. More babies were named Martin in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning of Mars · Latin
Say it MAR-tin /ˈmɑrtən/
- Rank in 2025
- #335 boys, down 42 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,009boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19636,073 babies
- Total since 1880
- 317,037babies recorded
What does the name Martin mean?
Martin comes from Latin Martinus, a derivative of Mars, the Roman god of war; DMNES calls it a diminutive of Mars, and Harrison (1918) glosses it "Martian". Its spread in Europe is owed to Saint Martin of Tours, the 4th-century soldier-saint, and later to the reformer Martin Luther. DMNES also lists several popes and kings of the name.
Martinus (Latin, “of Mars”)Mars (Latin, “Roman god of war”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Marty, Martín, Martina, Marten.
See also: Latin names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Martin', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Martin', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MARTIN', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Nicknames for Martin
The usual nicknames for Martin are Marty. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Martin in the last five years, 4 were named Marty, against 3 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marty · also for Martha | Traditional | #2,914 | 243 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Martins go by each one.
Martin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,476 since 1887.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #335 | 1,009 |
| 2020 | #293 | 1,168 |
| 2010 | #257 | 1,333 |
| 2000 | #175 | 2,110 |
| 1990 | #113 | 3,080 |
| 1980 | #123 | 2,227 |
| 1970 | #93 | 3,500 |
| 1960 | #77 | 5,495 |
| 1950 | #85 | 4,180 |
| 1940 | #85 | 2,423 |
| 1930 | #83 | 2,322 |
| 1920 | #78 | 2,439 |
| 1910 | #86 | 396 |
| 1900 | #70 | 383 |
| 1890 | #58 | 347 |
| 1880 | #45 | 357 |
How popular is Martin, counting every spelling?
Martin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #343 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #335 for Martin on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,009 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin | 1,009 | #335 | 5,477 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Martin?
1,009 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Martin (0.28 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Martin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Martin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Martin?
About 196,200 people born in the US named Martin are alive today, with a median age of 53; half are between 32 and 67. That makes Martin mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Martin by state
How common Martin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.1×), New Mexico (2.0×), California (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Maine, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Martin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Martin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Martin · Sibling names for Martin
Questions about the name Martin
What does Martin mean?
Martin means “of Mars” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Martin?
Martin was the 335th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,009 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 1963 (6,073). Over the last ten years it has moved down 60 places. More babies were named Martin in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Martin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Martin in the US.
Where is Martin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Martin was most common in Arizona (1.31 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and District of Columbia.