Surname Martinec Meaning and Origin

Surname Martinec:

1. Czech and Slovak derivative of the personal name Martin
2. Slovenian and Croatian diminutive or patronymic from the personal name Martin.

Personal name Martin:

Latin Martinus, a derivative of Mars, genitive Martis, the Roman god of fertinity and war, whose name may derive ultimately from a root mar 'gleam'.

Saint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (316/317, Savaria, Pannonia – November 8, 397, Candes, Gaul; buried November 11, 397, Candes, Gaul) was a bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Roman Catholic saints. He is considered a spiritual bridge across Europe between France and Hungary.
Some of the accounts of his travels may have been interpolated into his vita to give credence to early sites of his cult. His life was recorded by a contemporary, the hagiographer Sulpicius Severus. He is a patron saint of France and of soldiers.

Literature:

• ancestry.com, Our Name in Hisotry: The Martinec Name in History, The Generations Network, Inc. 2007, www.ournameinhistory.com.
• wikipedia.org - Martin of Tours