KILMARTIN
The Kilmartin surname is a surname of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Mhártain, which means “son of the servant of St. Martin”. The name is associated with St. Martin of Tours, an early Christian saint, and is predominantly found in County Clare and County Galway in the west of Ireland.
In the early medieval period the name is recorded in several forms, including MacGilmartin, McGilmartin, Gilmartin, Kilmartin and, in some instances, simply Martin. A 17th‑century source places the family within a branch of the O’Neills of Fermanagh and Tyrone, where they held the position of chiefs in the barony of Clogher, County Tyrone. Those who migrated into the province of Connacht came to be known principally as Kilmartin. By the time of Petty’s Census of Ireland in 1659 the Gilmartain and Kilmartin families were already becoming concentrated in what are now Counties Leitrim and Sligo.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the family name is Feargal Mac Martin, who served as bishop of Killala and died in 1431. Other early records include a marriage licence issued to Michael Kilmartin on 3 April 1780, when he married Margaret Heavy at Ballyhay, Cork. During the 1840s the name appears in passenger lists of the famine‑era emigration; Mary Gilmartin, aged twenty‑one, departed on the ship “Cornet” in Liverpool for New York on 18 May 1846, and George Kilmartin, listed as a gardener, left London for New York aboard the “Ellen” on 28 April 1847. The earliest documented spelling of a family member is that of Giolla Earnain O’Martin, described as the chief brehon or professor of law in 1231, during the reign of High King Hugh “Caobhdhearg” (Red Hand) around 1224.
Several variant spellings and derivatives of the surname are attested in the literature. These include Kilmurtrie, Kilmartrin, Kilmartryne, Killmurrie, Kilmurry, Kilmarton, Kilmarting and Kilmartine. Some sources note that the Gaelic phrase O Maolmartain or its diminutive Mac Giolla Mhaolmartain conveys “the son of the devotee of St. Martin”. Other authorities, such as a contemporary account, propose an alternative derivation from ciall and moirtin, translating to “noble” and “sea hill” respectively; however, these interpretations are not universally accepted.
In contemporary Diaspora communities the surname remains one of the fifty most common in Ireland and is well established in North America. In the United States the highest concentrations of individuals bearing the name are found in the southeastern and eastern seaboard states of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as in the Midwest cities of Chicago and Minneapolis. In Canada the name is most prevalent in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, with major concentrations in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. The persistence of the surname in these regions reflects the migratory patterns of Irish emigrants from the 19th century onward, many of whom retained a strong sense of heritage and community.
The coat of arms traditionally associated with the Kilmartin family dates to the fifteenth century, and historical references mention a house known as Kilmartin House in Ireland, though the authenticity of these claims has yet to be fully corroborated. Nonetheless, the surname continues to be a testament to the enduring legacy of Irish Christian clergy, noble families, and the enduring influence of Gaelic culture in the modern world.
Typical given names associated with the Kilmartin surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- Garry
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Peter
- Timothy
Female
- Alison
- Angela
- Ann
- Claire
- Gail
- Linda
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Marian
- Mary
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Sharon
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Kilmartin in...
Braille
⠅⠊⠇⠍⠁⠗⠞⠊⠝
Morse
-.-...-..--.-.-.-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 706 people named Kilmartin in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,644th most common surname in Britain. Around 11 in a million people in Britain are named Kilmartin.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
