Martyn

Martyn is a given name and surname, an English spelling variant of Martin. The given name derives from the Latin Martinus, which is related to Mars, the Roman god of war; it was popularized in Western Europe by Saint Martin of Tours in the 4th century. Spelling variants include Martin, Marten, and Merten, with Martyn used primarily in English-speaking contexts.

As a surname, Martyn is an English variant of Martin and appears in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other parts of the Anglophone world. It is one of several surnames formed from the given name Martin and can be found across records dating to the medieval period.

Notable people with Martyn as a given name include Martyn Ware, an English musician and founder of The Human League and Heaven 17; Martyn Rooney, a British sprinter; Martyn Waghorn, an English footballer; Martyn Lewis, a British newscaster; Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a Welsh minister and physician; and Martyn Poliakoff, a British chemist. These figures illustrate the name’s continued use across fields such as music, sports, media, and science.

Notable individuals with Martyn as a surname include John Martyn, a British singer-songwriter known for works such as Solid Air. The surname is less common than the given-name usage but remains a recognizable variant of Martin in English-language sources.