Martin
Boy name · #335 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 1,009 baby boys were named Martin, placing it at #335 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #275, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,784 boys born in 2025 was named Martin.
The 145-year story
Martin first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 357 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1963, when 6,073 boys were named Martin — good for #62 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Martin per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Martin against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Martin in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Martin is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Martin is most common
Geography matters for names, and Martin is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Martin is most common in DC (4 per 1,000), AZ (1.3 per 1,000), MN (1.2 per 1,000), CA (1 per 1,000), OR (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Martin is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Martin
Statistically, parents drawn to Martin tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kevin, Kelvin, Steven, Robin, and Nelson.
KevinKelvinStevenRobinNelsonJustinStephenBrian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Martin | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,009 | #335 |
| 2024 | 1,105 | #307 |
| 2023 | 1,152 | #288 |
| 2022 | 1,108 | #303 |
| 2021 | 1,103 | #300 |
| 2020 | 1,168 | #293 |
| 2019 | 1,253 | #281 |
| 2018 | 1,296 | #272 |
| 2017 | 1,283 | #282 |
| 2016 | 1,396 | #258 |
| 2015 | 1,344 | #275 |
| 2014 | 1,434 | #259 |
| 2013 | 1,346 | #265 |
| 2012 | 1,350 | #265 |
| 2011 | 1,321 | #262 |
| 2010 | 1,333 | #257 |
| 2009 | 1,526 | #234 |
| 2008 | 1,700 | #221 |
| 2007 | 1,881 | #208 |
| 2006 | 1,942 | #199 |
| 2005 | 1,836 | #206 |
| 2004 | 1,858 | #203 |
| 2003 | 1,889 | #198 |
| 2002 | 1,959 | #192 |
| 2001 | 2,061 | #182 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Martin a popular boy name?
Martin ranked #335 among boys in 2025 with 1,009 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #275.
When was the name Martin most popular?
Martin peaked in 1963, when 6,073 American boys received the name (ranked #62 that year). Since 1963 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Martin?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,784 newborn American boys was named Martin. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.