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

Martello, 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 Martello surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Martello in America

Martello is the 13127th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Martello surname appeared 2,334 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Martello.

We can also compare 2010 data for Martello 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 Martello

The surname Martello originated in Italy during the medieval period, derived from the Italian word "martello," meaning "hammer." This name is believed to have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker, using a hammer as their primary tool.

The earliest known record of the Martello surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Tuscany, where it was commonly found in cities like Florence and Siena. It's possible that the name also has roots in the Latin word "martellus," which has a similar meaning.

During the Renaissance era, the Martello family gained prominence in various Italian cities. One notable figure was Giovanni Martello, a prominent architect from Florence who lived in the 15th century and contributed to the design of several buildings in the city.

In the 16th century, the Martello surname made its way to other parts of Europe, particularly England and France, where it was anglicized and adapted to local spellings. One notable English bearer of the name was Peter Martello, a merchant and explorer who was active in the 17th century.

The Martello surname also gained recognition in the 18th century when the Martello tower, a type of defensive fortification, was named after its inventor, the Italian engineer Pietro Martello (1663-1720). These towers were built along the coasts of Britain and other countries to defend against potential invasions.

Another notable figure with the Martello surname was Pier Giacomo Martello (1665-1727), an Italian poet and satirist known for his contributions to the development of Italian literature during the Baroque period.

In the 19th century, the Martello name spread further across Europe and beyond, with bearers of the surname found in various countries, including Spain, Germany, and even as far as Australia and the United States.

Throughout history, the Martello surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, including metalworking, architecture, literature, and military engineering, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Martello

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

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 Martello 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 Martello 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 Martello was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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