Parent’s name
Martinez surname meaning
Son of Martín (Martin) — Spanish patronymic.
The short story
Martinez is Spanish for "son of Martín." The given name Martín is the Iberian form of Martin, popular across Christian Europe after Saint Martin of Tours, and the -ez ending is the classic Castilian "son of" marker (compare Rodríguez, Hernández).
It is not a place-name and not a craft: it points to a father's or ancestor's personal name. Portuguese cousins often appear as Martins. In US Census tallies the unaccented Martinez spelling dominates, but the meaning is the same as Martínez with the accent.
Also seen as: Martínez, Martines, Martins
Sources used
- Wikipedia 'Martínez (surname)' (son of Martín)
- Ancestry surname meaning for Martinez citing DAFN 2022 (Spanish patronymic from Martín)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)