2000
#25,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 909
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Martir
A Spanish surname referencing a martyr or someone persecuted for their religious beliefs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,268 Americans carry the last name Martir. That puts it at #14,503 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Martir 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.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,126
Census rank
#14,503
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,978 bearers of the surname Martir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14503rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Martir, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Martir
The surname MARTIR has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain. It is derived from the Spanish word "martir," which means "martyr." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who had endured suffering or persecution for their religious beliefs.
During the time of the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, the name MARTIR may have been adopted by individuals or families who played a significant role in the struggle against the Muslim rulers. It could have been a way to honor their sacrifices or to commemorate their martyrdom for the Christian cause.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname MARTIR can be found in various medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable example is the mention of a certain Pedro MARTIR in the archives of the city of Seville, dated around the year 1420. This individual's name suggests that he or someone in his family lineage may have been recognized for their devotion to their faith.
Another historical reference to the name MARTIR can be found in the writings of the Spanish historian and scholar, Juan de Mariana (1536-1624). In his work, "Historia General de España," he mentions a nobleman named Alonso MARTIR, who played a role in the Reconquista and was present during the surrender of Granada in 1492, marking the end of the Moorish rule in Spain.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname MARTIR was Pedro MARTIR de Anglería (1457-1526), an Italian-born scholar and historian who served as a courtier to the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. He is best known for his accounts of the early Spanish expeditions to the Americas, which provide valuable insights into the indigenous cultures and the European colonization efforts.
In the religious realm, Juan MARTIR (1503-1566) was a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who was instrumental in the early evangelization efforts in the Americas. He is renowned for his commitment to the defense of indigenous rights and for his advocacy against the exploitation of Native Americans by Spanish colonizers.
Another notable figure bearing the surname MARTIR was Pedro MARTIR Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681), a celebrated Spanish playwright and poet of the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, such as "Life is a Dream" and "The Constant Prince," have become classics of Spanish drama and are still widely studied and performed today.
While the surname MARTIR may have originated as a religious or symbolic name, over time it has become a common surname in various Spanish-speaking regions, with bearers from diverse backgrounds and occupations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Martir
Among Census respondents with the surname Martir, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Martir 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 Martir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino65.7% · 1,300
- White23.1% · 456
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 107
- Black or African American4.7% · 93
- Two or more races1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Martir
Martir 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
#20,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,284
+375 bearers (+41.3%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 4,897 places
2020
#14,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
+694 bearers (+54.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 6,124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,524 | 909 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,627 | 1,284 | 0.44 | +375 bearers (+41.3%) | Up 4,897 places |
| 2020 | #14,503 | 1,978 | 0.66 | +694 bearers (+54.0%) | Up 6,124 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 Martir 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 | #20,627 | #14,503 | 29.7% |
| Count | 1,284 | 1,978 | 54.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.66 | 50.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Martir bearers went from 1,284 to 1,978 (+54.0% change). The surname moved up 6,124 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,627 to #14,503.
FAQ
Martir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Martir?
Name Census estimates that about 2,268 living Americans carry the surname Martir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,126 residents.
How common is Martir?
Martir ranks #14,503 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,978 people with the surname Martir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Martir.
Has Martir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Martir went from 1,284 recorded bearers to 1,978. That is an increase of 694 (+54.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,627 to #14,503.
What does the Census say about the background of Martir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Martir, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Martir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.7% (1,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Martir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (65.7%), White (23.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Martir (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 Martir mean?
A Spanish surname referencing a martyr or someone persecuted for their religious beliefs. 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 Martir (0.66 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 have the last name Martir?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Martir at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.