Origin & History

In Ireland, Martin is most commonly an anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic 'O Martain', meaning 'descendant of Martin', where Martin derives from the Latin 'Martinus' — from 'Martis', the genitive form of Mars, the Roman god of war. The name was popularised throughout Ireland by devotion to Saint Martin of Tours (316–397), the patron of the poor who shared his cloak with a beggar and whose feast day on 11 November was one of the most celebrated in the Irish calendar. The principal O'Martin sept was based in County Tyrone, with related families in County Galway and County Mayo.