Meaning and history
This name comes from the Roman name Martinus, derived from Martis, the genitive form of Mars, the Roman god. It was popularized by Saint Martin of Tours, a 4th-century bishop and patron saint of France, who according to legend cut his cloak in two to share it with a beggar; he became a favorite saint in the Middle Ages, and the name spread widely across the Christian world. Notable bearers include Martin Luther (1483–1546), who began the Protestant Reformation, five popes, two of whom are more commonly known as Marinus, and more recent figures such as the philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968), and filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942–).
20062006: 1,942 births, rank #199
2007: 1,881 births, rank #208
2008: 1,700 births, rank #221
2009: 1,526 births, rank #234
2010: 1,333 births, rank #257
20112011: 1,321 births, rank #262
2012: 1,350 births, rank #265
2013: 1,346 births, rank #265
2014: 1,434 births, rank #259
2015: 1,344 births, rank #275
20162016: 1,396 births, rank #258
2017: 1,283 births, rank #282
2018: 1,296 births, rank #272
2019: 1,253 births, rank #281
2020: 1,168 births, rank #293
20212021: 1,103 births, rank #300
2022: 1,108 births, rank #303
2023: 1,152 births, rank #288
2024: 1,105 births, rank #307
20252025: 1,009 births, rank #335
Martin moved from #308 to #335 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1963, with 6,073 births.