Máirtín
Say it: MAWR-cheen[ˈmˠɑːɾˠtʲiːnʲ]
BoyIrishMeans of Mars, through Martin7 letters2 syllables
Unranked
in 2025
0
babies in 2025
#229
best rank (1990)
107
babies since 1965
Máirtín through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | #530 |
| 2020 | 3 | #706 |
| 2018 | 3 | #703 |
| 2015 | 4 | #615 |
| 2014 | 4 | #609 |
| 2010 | 4 | #611 |
| 2009 | 5 | #532 |
| 2006 | 5 | #423 |
| 2005 | 3 | #518 |
| 2003 | 5 | #375 |
| 2002 | 4 | #393 |
| 2000 | 3 | #390 |
| 1999 | 4 | #330 |
| 1996 | 3 | #369 |
| 1995 | 3 | #334 |
| 1990 | 7 | #229 |
| 1988 | 6 | #235 |
| 1985 | 3 | #304 |
| 1984 | 4 | #274 |
| 1983 | 5 | #258 |
| 1981 | 5 | #260 |
| 1976 | 3 | #316 |
| 1973 | 3 | #320 |
| 1972 | 3 | #307 |
| 1968 | 4 | #243 |
| 1967 | 3 | #265 |
| 1965 | 3 | #250 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Máirtín mean?
Of Mars, through Martin
Irish form of Martin, from Latin Martinus, reshaped with the Irish small ending -ín.
Say it right
MAWRcheen
This is the Connacht way. In Munster the stress moves to the end, mawr-CHEEN. The slender t sounds close to "ch".
Not:MAR-tin
The story of Máirtín
Máirtín is the Irish form of Martin, from the Latin Martinus, a name built on Mars, the Roman god of war. In Irish it was reshaped to end in -ín, the small ending found in names such as Oisín. Martin spread across Europe in honour of St Martin of Tours, and the older Irish form Mártan is related.
The name is closely tied to writing in Irish. Máirtín Ó Cadhain, whose novel Cré na Cille is one of the landmarks of modern Irish literature, and the Aran Islands poet Máirtín Ó Direáin both carried it. The Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness used Máirtín Mag Aonghusa as the Irish form of his name.
Máirtín has always been rare on the birth register, with most parents choosing Martin. Its best year was 1990, when 7 boys were given it and it reached number 229. The CSO printed no fadas before 2018, so most of its figures are for Mairtin. It was last listed in 2021, with 5 boys.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Máirtín (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Máirtín
- Wikipedia: Martin (name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Mairtin | under 3 | 96 |
| Máirtín | under 3 | 11 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #271 (1997); 19 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.