Where the Marte surname comes from
Marte is the Italian name of the Roman god Mars. It was given to children as a blessing of strength and protection, or to those born in March, the god’s month. The origin is disputed, but every theory leads to the same god.
A god with two faces
Before he became the god of war, Mars was something else. The PDF tells what, and what the calendar has to do with your surname.
Where the Marte families live today
Marte is a rare, scattered surname: there are about 150 families in Italy. It has no single heartland. The slightly larger groups are in Calabria and Veneto, then Apulia, Sicily and Lazio. Tens of thousands of people around the world are called Marte, but theirs is a surname of Spanish origin that arose on its own. The PDF has the region-by-region map.
Variants
The PDF records no common variants of Marte. It is the god’s name left just as it was, and it almost always appears in this one form.
FAQ
What does the surname Marte mean?
It comes from the Italian name of the Roman god Mars. It was a blessing name, or it was given to children born in March. The origin is disputed.
Is Marte an Italian or a Dominican surname?
Both, but they are two distinct surnames. The Italian one is rare, just under 500 people. The one common in the Americas, especially in the Dominican Republic, is of Spanish origin and unrelated.
Does Marte have anything to do with the month of March?
It is one of the theories. March was the god’s month, and children born then were given names in his honor. Another thread leads to Tuesday, which some dialects still call marte or marti.
Are all Marte families related?
No. Two Marte families far apart are not necessarily related. Because the surname is rare, you may be able to trace a small local branch starting from your family’s town.
Is the Marte surname noble?
A Marte family appears in 1609 among the noble families of Sorrento, but its descendants cannot be traced. Most Marte were farmers, artisans and ordinary village families.
Is there a Marte family coat of arms?
Old heraldry books record a coat of arms for the Marte family of Sorrento. It belonged to that one family: a coat of arms for the surname, valid for everyone, does not exist.
How do I trace the ancestors of a Marte?
Start from your family’s exact town, which matters more than the region. Civil records begin in 1809 on the southern mainland and in 1820 in Sicily; before that you search parish registers.
How many Marte are there in Italy?
A little under 500 people, about 150 families, according to an estimate, scattered across many regions.
