From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god MARS. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.An influential bearer of the name was Martin Luther (1483-1546), the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation. The name was also borne by five popes (two of them more commonly known as Marinus). Other more recent bearers include the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King (1929-1968), and the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942-).
Name day: March 1st: Bulgaria April 13th: Croatia November 3rd: Croatia November 10th: Estonia, Sweden November 11th: Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia
Famous People: Martin Lutherwiki (Religious Figure, 1483, Germany), Martin Luther King, Jr.wiki (Social Activist, 1929, United States), Martin Van Burenwiki (Politician, 1782, United States), Martin Weinekwiki (Actor, 1964, Austria), Martin Scorsesewiki (Film Director, 1942, United States), Ricky Martinwiki (Singer, 1971, Puerto Rico), Roger Martin du Gardwiki (Writer, 1881, France), Martin of Tourswiki (Religious Figure, 316, Hungary), Pope Martin Iwiki (Religious Figure, 600, Italy), Chris Martinwiki (Musician, 1977, United Kingdom)