Martin
Meaning of Martin
Martin floats through history like the crescent of a silver katana—sleek, disciplined, and quietly radiant—its Latin root, Martius, once stamped on Roman shields in honor of Mars, god of determined battle, before softening under medieval moonlight with Saint Martin of Tours, the soldier-monk who halved his cloak for a beggar; across centuries the name has moved with the steady rhythm of a temple bell, never clamoring yet never fading, appearing in every register from soaring civil-rights refrains of Martin Luther King Jr. to the deft ink strokes of filmmaker Martin Scorsese. In Japanese imagination, it might be likened to the migratory yamadori, the mountain bird whose return signals resilience rather than flamboyance: dependable, season after season. Carried on the lips as MAR-tin, it feels brief as a haiku line yet firm as polished stone, a choice for parents who favor understated strength over spectacle. Thus Martin stands: a name of tempered steel and quiet cherry-blossom shade, promising a life that balances resolve with reflective grace.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as MAR-tin (/ˈmɑrtɪn/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Martin
| Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister, led the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1968 using nonviolent protest to challenge Jim Crow and win rights for people of color. |
| Martin Luther was a German priest and theologian who led the Protestant Reformation, founding Lutheranism and reshaping Western Christianity. |
| Martin Scorsese is an American New Hollywood filmmaker, winner of an Academy Award and many other top honors, with four films in the National Film Registry. |
| Martin Van Buren, a founder of the Democratic Party, was the eighth US president from 1837 to 1841 after serving as senator, governor, secretary of state, and vice president, later losing reelection and leading the Free Soil ticket in 1848. |
| Martin Ødegaard - Martin Odegaard is a Norwegian midfielder who captains Arsenal and Norway, renowned for his vision and passing as one of the best in the world. |
| Sir Martin Amis was a celebrated English novelist best known for "Money" and "London Fields," and he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. |
| Martin of Tours, a Pannonian-born soldier turned monk, became the third bishop of Tours in 371, founded the monastery at Liguge, and is venerated as a patron saint across Europe. |
| Martin O'Malley - Martin Joseph O’Malley is an American Democratic politician who served as mayor of Baltimore, governor of Maryland, and commissioner of the Social Security Administration. |
| Martin Sheen is an American actor with a TV and film career spanning more than six decades, earning three Emmys, a Golden Globe, and four SAG Awards. |
| Martin St. Louis is a Canadian hockey coach and Hall of Fame former player, an undrafted Tampa Bay Lightning star who won the 2004 Stanley Cup, had his number retired, and now coaches the Montreal Canadiens. |
| Martin Hayter Short is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer known for energetic sketch comedy and film and TV roles, with multiple Emmys, SAG Awards, a Tony, and recognition as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019. |
| Martin McDonagh is a British and Irish playwright and filmmaker known for absurdist dark humor and honored with an Academy Award, multiple BAFTAs and Golden Globes, Olivier Awards, and five Tony nominations. |
| Martin Dempsey - Martin Edward Marty Dempsey is a retired US Army general who chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 to 2015, previously led key commands, and later taught at Duke and chaired USA Basketball. |
| Martin Freeman is an English actor with two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe nomination. |
| American actor and comedian Martin Lawrence rose from stand up and early TV to co create and star in Martin, then broke out on film as Detective Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys in 1995. |
