2000
#4,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,639
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.83
Rare Last name
Martinson
Son of Martin, an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, which means "of Mars" or "warlike."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,503 Americans carry the last name Martinson. That puts it at #4,634 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,310 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Martinson 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 Martinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.5K
1 in 40,310
Census rank
#4,634
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,415 bearers of the surname Martinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4634th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Martinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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the Martinson name was Ulf Martinson, a Norwegian landowner mentioned in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of historical documents dating from the late 12th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Martinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Martinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Martinson 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 Martinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 6,651
- Two or more races4.3% · 321
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 214
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 90
- Black or African American1.1% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Martinson
Martinson 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
#4,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,048
+409 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Down 118 places
2020
#4,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,415
-633 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Down 222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,294 | 7,639 | 2.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,412 | 8,048 | 2.73 | +409 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 118 places |
| 2020 | #4,634 | 7,415 | 2.48 | -633 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 222 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 Martinson 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 | #4,412 | #4,634 | -5.0% |
| Count | 8,048 | 7,415 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.73 | 2.48 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Martinson bearers went from 8,048 to 7,415 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 222 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,412 to #4,634.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Martinson
FAQ
Martinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Martinson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,503 living Americans carry the surname Martinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,310 residents.
How common is Martinson?
Martinson ranks #4,634 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,415 people with the surname Martinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Martinson.
Has Martinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Martinson went from 8,048 recorded bearers to 7,415. That is a decrease of 633 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,412 to #4,634.
What does the Census say about the background of Martinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Martinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Martinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (6,651 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Martinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Martinson (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 Martinson mean?
Son of Martin, an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Martin, which means "of Mars" or "warlike." 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 Martinson (2.48 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 common is the surname Martinson?
See how many people are called Martinson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.