2000
#10,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Marten
Derived from the Middle English and Old French word "martin," referring to the common European forest mammal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,488 Americans carry the last name Marten. That puts it at #10,097 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,267 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marten surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,267
Census rank
#10,097
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,042 bearers of the surname Marten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10097th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marten, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marten
The surname Marten is of English origin, deriving from the medieval English personal name Martin. This name ultimately traces back to the Roman family name Martinus, which was derived from the name of the Roman god Mars, the god of war. The surname Marten likely emerged in England during the 12th or 13th century as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Martin."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Marten can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landowners in England. The rolls mention a William Marten residing in Norfolk. Another early reference is in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire from 1379, which list a Johannes Marten.
The surname Marten has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Marten in Wiltshire may have contributed to the surname's development. Similarly, the Domesday Book of 1086 records a place called "Mertun" in Berkshire, which could be linked to the surname's origins.
Notably, the surname Marten has been borne by several historical figures. One of the earliest was Sir Henry Marten (c. 1562-1641), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another notable bearer was John Marten (1619-1680), an English Puritan and regicide who signed the death warrant of King Charles I.
In the realm of arts and literature, the surname Marten has been represented by individuals such as Cyril Marten (1886-1962), an English novelist and playwright. John Marten Waldo Meek (1835-1899) was an American artist known for his landscapes and portraits.
Other historical figures with the surname Marten include John Marten (1690-1768), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London, and Robert Edmund Chute Marten (1856-1936), a British Army officer who served in the Second Boer War and World War I.
The surname Marten has persisted throughout history, with various spellings and variations emerging over time, such as Marton, Mertun, and Mertyn. Despite its ancient roots, the name continues to be used across different regions and cultures, reflecting its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marten
Among Census respondents with the surname Marten, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Marten bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 2,681
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 148
- Black or African American3.4% · 104
- Two or more races2.6% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marten
Marten appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,666
+794 bearers (+27.6%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 1,354 places
2020
#10,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,042
-624 bearers (-17.0%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 1,169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,282 | 2,872 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,928 | 3,666 | 1.24 | +794 bearers (+27.6%) | Up 1,354 places |
| 2020 | #10,097 | 3,042 | 1.02 | -624 bearers (-17.0%) | Down 1,169 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marten surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,928 | #10,097 | -13.1% |
| Count | 3,666 | 3,042 | -17.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.02 | -17.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marten bearers went from 3,666 to 3,042 (-17.0% change). The surname moved down 1,169 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,928 to #10,097.
FAQ
Marten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marten?
Name Census estimates that about 3,488 living Americans carry the surname Marten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,267 residents.
How common is Marten?
Marten ranks #10,097 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,042 people with the surname Marten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Marten.
Has Marten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marten went from 3,666 recorded bearers to 3,042. That is a decrease of 624 (-17.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,928 to #10,097.
What does the Census say about the background of Marten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marten, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,681 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (4.9%), Black (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marten (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marten mean?
Derived from the Middle English and Old French word "martin," referring to the common European forest mammal. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marten (1.02 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Marten?
You can see how many people are called Marten on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.