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BabyNames
Boy name#120 of boy names

Martin

Pronounced M AA1 R T AH0 N (ARPABET)

  • 2 syllables
  • Peaked 1963
  • 145 years in use
  • 2 spellings
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How popular is Martin?

Martin is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 316,867 children — the 120th most common boys' name on record.

It has been slipping, down 22% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1963, when 6,093 children were given it.

Two other spellings are counted in that total — Marten and Marton — because they are pronounced identically.

02,5005,0007,50010,00018901920195019802010
1963Boys: 6,093Girls: 18

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Martin and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Marten
  • Marton

Nicknames

Common short forms: Marty.

Characteristics

  • 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
M AA1 R T AH0 N · M AA1 R T IH0 N
Stress pattern:
10 · 10
Syllables:
2

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Martin

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Martin

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Martin?
Martin ranks 120th among boys' names in US records, with 316,867 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 12,278.
Is Martin a unisex name?
No. Martin is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Martin most popular?
1963, when 6,093 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
What are common nicknames for Martin?
Marty. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
How else is Martin spelled?
Marten, Marton. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.