What is the origin of surname Martin?

Question:

What is the origin of surname Martin?

Most of you can probably take a pretty good guess at this because it is a fairley common last name; however, I am a bit confused. You see, most people may think that this name is Irish, Scottish or maybe German, right? The thing is, I have seen many people from a variety of ethnicities who have this name, and it is not because they have changed it in order to sound like something else. I have seen people who were Irish, French, English, Italian as well as Spanish who have this last name. So, what makes it so diverse and does anyone know the true origin, if there is one?!?!?! Thank you!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Martin
This interesting surname recorded in some two hundred forms from Martin and Martini to Marti and
Martinovich, is of Roman origin. It derives from "Mars", the god of fertility and war, although it is claimed
that "Mars" itself may derive ultimately from the word "mar", meaning "to gleam". The original given
name has been used in every state in Europe since the 12th century crusades to free the Holy Land from the
Moslems. However the main impetus which gave the name such popularity was as a result of the good
works of the 14th Century Saint Martin of Tours, in France. It is said that Martin is one of the few saints
names which the protestants accepted after the reformation. There are many patronymic forms such as
Martinez (Spanish) or Martenssen (Swedish), and diminutives such as Martineau (France) and Martinelli
(Italian). Curiously the Polish spellings of Marcinkowski and Marciszewski are locational, originating
from a town called Martin, as is the Czech Martinovsky. Examples of the surname recordings taken from
authentic registers of the period include John Martin of Plymouth, England, who was navigator to Sir
Francis Drake, on his first "Round the World" voyage of 1577, whilst Christopher Martin was a member of
the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620. Suarez Martinez was christened at Asuncion, Mexico, on October 2md 1774,
whilst Jack Martinet was registered at Berkeley, California on September 27th 1909, and Jeffrey Lynn
Martineau at Los Angelos on April 10th 1948. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be
that of Walter Martin, which was dated 1166, in the charters of the county of Northampton, England, during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189.