From the analysis of the reference bibliography, E. De Felice, A. Bongioanni and P. Lastrico agree that the surname Martino and its variants derive from the Latin personal name Martinus, which in turn comes from Mars Martis, with the meaning "consecrated to the god Mars". It spread widely throughout Europe through devotion to Saint Martin of Tours, who died in the year 397, one of the most venerated saints of Christendom.

His story —particularly the episode in which he divides his cloak to help a poor man— fed the popularity of the name. De Felice and Bongioanni agree that Martino is not a diminutive but a patronymic, and they mention related place names such as Martiniana, Martignacco and Martinengo, with numerous regional variants, altered or derived for phonetic, geographical or cultural reasons, without asserting that the surname comes from them. They also note the existence of feminine forms such as Martina (place name: Martina Franca).

E. Rossoni supplies numerous local, patronymic and toponymic variants, confirming the surname's very high diffusion throughout Italy, especially in the south for Martino, and in the centre and north for Martini and Martinelli. Lastrico indicates more than 20,000 people with this surname in Italy, with epicentres in Campania, Sicily, Piedmont and Tuscany, as well as a presence in France.

Derivatives such as Martinetti, Martinetto, Martinazzi and Martinotto arise as affectionate, augmentative or hypocoristic forms. In some cases, as Bongioanni notes, these surnames may also derive from place names or reflect forms crossed with the feminine name Marta.

Geographical distribution

• Martino: high frequency in southern Italy (Naples, Caserta, Salerno, Sicily), also present in Piedmont.
• Martini: very widespread in the centre and north (Tuscany, Lazio, Lombardy), especially in Prato, Florence, Verona and Sanremo.
• Martinelli: Lombardy, Tuscany and Emilia; forms such as Martinetti and Martinotto are common in the north.
• Martino and De Martino: high frequency in Campania (more than 4,500 records), as well as in Ragusa (Sicily).
• Martina: Puglia (Lecce, Taranto, Brindisi); it may also derive from the place name Martina Franca.
• Martinez and Martines: patronymic surnames of Spanish origin and of similar derivation, frequent in Sicily, Lazio and the south.

Notable derivatives and regional forms

• Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Martinic, Martinig, Martinisi (the suffixes -ic and -ig as patronymics of Slavic origin).
• Lombardy and Piedmont: Martinotti, Martinetti, Martinuzzi, Martinollo, Martinozzi.
• Veneto: Martinello, Martinazzi, Martinazzo.
• Sicily: Martino, Martines, Martínez.
• Tuscany and Emilia: Martinelli, Martini.
• Campania and the peninsular south: De Martino, Di Martino, Martino.

Compound surnames and infrequent variants

• Martinangeli / Martinangelo: compounds of the name Martino + Angelo. Frequent in the Marche and Salerno.
• Martinengo / Martinenghi: derived from the place name Martinengo, in the Bergamo area, and widespread in Lombardy.
• Martinicchio / Martincic / Martinovich: adapted or Slavic forms documented by De Felice.

Forms derived from the surname Martino