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

Martinson, 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 Martinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Martinson in America

Martinson is the 4412th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Martinson surname appeared 8,048 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 Martinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Martinson 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 Martinson

The surname Martinson is of Scandinavian origin, deriving from the Old Norse name Martyn, itself a variant of the Latin name Martinus. This name ultimately traces its roots back to the Roman god of war, Mars. The suffix "son" indicates the name's patronymic nature, denoting "son of Martin."

Martinson first emerged as a surname in Norway and Sweden during the medieval period, when the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread. Early records from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate the name was particularly prevalent in coastal regions, possibly due to the influence of trade and migration.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Martinson name was Ulf Martinson, a Norwegian landowner mentioned in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of historical documents dating from the late 12th century. Another notable early figure was Birgitta Martinson, a Swedish noblewoman who lived in the early 15th century and was known for her philanthropic work.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several Martinsons made their mark in various fields. Johan Martinson (1530-1602) was a Swedish clergyman and theologian who played a role in the Swedish Reformation. Brita Martinson (1572-1645), a Swedish merchant, became one of the wealthiest individuals in Stockholm through her successful trading ventures.

In more recent times, the Martinson name has been associated with several notable figures. Gunnar Martinson (1904-1994) was a Swedish author and playwright, known for his works exploring social themes. Harriette Martinson (1886-1966), an American politician, served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho in the 1920s.

Another prominent bearer of the Martinson name was Harry Martinson (1904-1978), a Swedish writer and poet who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 for his literary works that captured the spirit of Sweden and the Swedish landscape.

While the Martinson name has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Norway and Sweden, where it emerged as a patronymic surname derived from the Old Norse name Martyn.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Martinson

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!