Mart
A shortened form of the name Martin, derived from Mars, the Roman god of war.
Name Census estimates that about 480 living Americans carry the first name Mart. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mart today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mart births was 1958 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mart. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
480
~ 1 in 714,072 Americans
Peak year
1958
28 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
2006 SSA rank
#13,306
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Mart: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mart from the 1880s through to the 2000s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 180 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mart by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mart during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marts live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Mart, while Oklahoma, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mart
The name Mart has its origins in the Latin language and is derived from the name Martius, which was a Roman family name. Martius itself is believed to have been derived from the name of the Roman god Mars, who was the god of war.
In ancient Roman culture, the month of March was named after Mars, and the name Martius was often given to children born during this month. Over time, the name evolved into various forms, including Mart, which became a common given name in its own right.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Mart can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who lived in the 1st century BC. He mentions several individuals with the name Martius or its variations, indicating that the name was in use during the Roman Republic.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Mart. One of the earliest was Mart Merian (1593-1650), a Swiss naturalist and engraver known for his detailed illustrations of plants and animals. He was a pioneer in the field of natural history and his works were highly influential in their time.
Another notable figure was Mart Saar (1882-1963), an Estonian writer and poet who played a significant role in the development of Estonian literature during the early 20th century. His works were often inspired by the natural beauty of his homeland and explored themes of national identity and cultural heritage.
In the realm of sports, Mart Poom (born 1971) is a former Estonian football goalkeeper who represented his country at the international level and played for various clubs in England and Scotland during his professional career.
Moving to the world of politics, Mart Laar (born 1960) is an Estonian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and again from 1999 to 2002. He played a crucial role in Estonia's transition to a market economy and its integration into Western political and economic structures.
Lastly, Mart Stam (1899-1986) was a Dutch architect and designer who was a prominent figure in the Modernist movement. He is best known for designing the iconic Tugendhat House in Brno, Czech Republic, which is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Mart, highlighting its enduring presence across various fields and cultures.
People
Mart + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mart as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mart: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mart?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 480 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mart going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 714,072 US residents.
Is Mart a common name?
We classify Mart as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,039 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mart most popular?
The single biggest year for Mart was 1958, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mart is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mart a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mart in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.