2000
#17,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Marton
A habitational name referring to someone from any of several English towns and villages named Marton.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,907 Americans carry the last name Marton. That puts it at #16,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 179,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marton 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 Marton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 179,735
Census rank
#16,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,663 bearers of the surname Marton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marton
The surname Marton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning "lake" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "farmstead." This suggests that the name originally referred to a settlement near a lake or body of water.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of the name appears as "Mertun" and "Mertone," referring to various villages and townships in different counties of England. These early spellings provide insight into the name's evolution over time.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Marton was William de Merton, a renowned scholar and founder of Merton College, Oxford, who lived from around 1205 to 1277. He came from a village called Merton in Surrey, which likely contributed to the formation of his surname.
Another notable figure with the surname Marton was Sir Henry Marton, a 14th-century English politician and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, who served during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377).
In the 16th century, John Marton (1536-1599) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and played a role in the translation of the King James Bible.
Moving to the 18th century, James Marton (1720-1776) was a British military engineer and cartographer, known for his work in mapping and surveying various parts of North America during the French and Indian War.
In the 19th century, Robert Marton (1853-1920) was a notable English-born Australian explorer and bushman, who made significant contributions to the exploration of the Australian outback and the development of the Northern Territory.
These examples illustrate the widespread use of the surname Marton throughout British history, with its origins rooted in the naming conventions of early English settlements and villages. The name has evolved over time, but its underlying meaning and connections to place names have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marton
Among Census respondents with the surname Marton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Marton 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 Marton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 1,390
- Black or African American6.9% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 92
- Two or more races2.6% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marton
Marton 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
#18,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,499
-5 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 1,134 places
2020
#16,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,663
+164 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 1,740 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,323 | 1,504 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,457 | 1,499 | 0.51 | -5 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 1,134 places |
| 2020 | #16,717 | 1,663 | 0.56 | +164 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 1,740 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 Marton 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 | #18,457 | #16,717 | 9.4% |
| Count | 1,499 | 1,663 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.56 | 9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marton bearers went from 1,499 to 1,663 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 1,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,457 to #16,717.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Marton
FAQ
Marton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marton?
Name Census estimates that about 1,907 living Americans carry the surname Marton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 179,735 residents.
How common is Marton?
Marton ranks #16,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,663 people with the surname Marton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,907), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Marton.
Has Marton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marton went from 1,499 recorded bearers to 1,663. That is an increase of 164 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,457 to #16,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Marton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Marton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (1,390 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (6.9%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Marton (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 Marton mean?
A habitational name referring to someone from any of several English towns and villages named Marton. 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 Marton (0.56 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 Marton?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Marton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.