Find out how popular the last name Martel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Martel.

Martel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Martel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Martel in America

Martel is the 3925th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Martel surname appeared 9,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Martel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Martel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Martel

The surname Martel originated in France, emerging during the medieval period. It derives from the French word "martel," meaning "hammer." This name was likely an occupational surname initially, referring to a person who worked as a hammerer or blacksmith.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Charles Martel, a Frankish military leader who lived from 686 to 741 AD. He earned the epithet "Martel" (the Hammer) for his decisive victory over the Moors at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, which halted the Muslim invasion of Western Europe.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any references to the surname Martel. However, the name is found in various historical records from France, such as the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, which dates back to the 12th century.

In the 13th century, Guillaume Martel was a prominent French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254). Another notable figure was Jean Martel, a 14th-century French composer and poet who served at the court of King Charles V.

The name Martel has also been associated with several place names in France, such as Martel-le-Ville and Martel-Avoine, which may have influenced the surname's development in certain regions.

Other historical figures bearing the surname Martel include:

1. André Martel (1629-1673), a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works.
2. François Martel (1761-1840), a French politician and writer who served as a deputy during the French Revolution.
3. Marie-Josèphe Martel (1782-1865), a French-Canadian businesswoman and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in Quebec.
4. Frédéric Martel (born 1967), a French writer and sociologist known for his work on LGBT issues and cultural studies.
5. Andrew Martel (1909-1992), an American politician who served as the 57th Governor of Florida from 1965 to 1967.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Martel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Martel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Martel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Martel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Martel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Martel, please contact us.

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