Surname Martinson - Meaning and Origin
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read moreMartinson: What does the surname Martinson mean?
The last name Martinson is of Scandinavian origin and likely derived from the personal names Martin or Morten. The suffix -son was appended to the personal name to create the patronymic Martinson.
In Sweden, patronymic surnames were used as far back as the early Middle Ages. In the modern era, this type of surname is still common in Scandinavia, as is the subsequent transition to a fixed family name in the 17th or even 18th century.
The first record of the surname Martinson dates to 1123 in the Stakbola church records located in Uppland, Sweden. The first recorded instance of the surname in the United States is from 1883, when Friedrich Smith Martinson, a German immigrant, arrived in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
The surname carries a variety of meanings, most of them associated with one of the Martin personal names or its derivatives. The meaning of Martin is "of Mars" or "warlike" while Morten means "form of the sea god Morth".
Today, the surname Martinson is fairly common within the United States, with a population of about 31,400 people in 2019. Its highest concentrations of people can be found in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, and Washington.
Order DNA origin analysisMartinson: Where does the name Martinson come from?
The last name Martinson is most commonly found in Scandinavia today. Its prevalence varies between countries, but it is most popular in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. In Sweden, it is the 101st most common last name, encompassing more than 12,000 people; in Finland, the name ranks 525th, with nearly 4,000 people; and in Norway, the 296th most common surname belonging to around 8,000 people.
The origin of Martinson as a surname is likely Scandinavian, with similar spellings found in many other Germanic languages. The root of the name comes from the first name Martin, itself derived from Mars, the Roman god of war. Additionally, Martin derives from the Latin term Martis, which referred to an individual dedicated to the god Mars.
Martinson has made its way around the world over the centuries since its source language evolved. In the United States, today the surname ranks 4,279th in terms of popularity. In Canada, the last name falls even lower, at 6,190th. In the United Kingdom, Martinson is more popular than it is in the United States and Canada, coming in at 3,586th. Outside of Europe, the surname is also found in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Variations of the surname Martinson
The surname Martinson is of English and German origin. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name Márthón-r meaning “marten’s son” from the Old Norse word már meaning “marten”.
Variants of Martinson include:
- Martens
- Martenson
- Martison
- Martysen
- Martinsson
- Martesen
- Martensson
Common English spellings are Mertinson, Martinson, Martenson, and Martison, whereas Mertz, Morten, Mortenson, and Mortenson are German spellings.
The Martinson surname also has many distinct, regional variants and surnames that have been derived from the original medieval form. In England, variants of the surname include Marteson, Martson, Marttinger, Martyn, and Martz. In Germany and Austria, surnames such as Matthiesen, Mürtz, Martig, and Mertz are variants of Martinson.
In the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Norway, the variants are Mathisen, Mathiasson, Matheson, Mattisson, and Mattson. In the Netherlands, variants include Maarten, Martens, and Martijn. In other countries, such as France, the surname can also be seen in its various forms including Marteau, Martineau, and Martinet.
The Martinson surname is also seen in its numerous spelling variants across other European countries such as in Poland, (Matysiak), Finland (Martikainen), Ireland (McMartin), and Spain (Martín). Lastly, in the United States, the population of individuals with this name can also be found to have several variants, due to immigration, such as Merton, Martinessi, and Martinsen.
Famous people with the name Martinson
- Hjalmar Martinson: Swedish poet and novelist
- Kalervo Martinson: Finnish composer and organist
- Evin Martinson: American actor
- Oke Martinson: Danish novelist
- Tony Martinson: English footballer
- Megan Martinson: Australian dancer
- Ken Martinson: American film director
- Curtis Martinson: Canadian ice hockey player
- Emmy Martinson: Swedish actress
- Eric Martinson: American painter