Bartók was born in the Banatian town of Nagyszentmiklós in the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Sânnicolau Mare, Romania) on 25 March 1881.On his father's side, the Bartók family was a Hungarian lower noble family, originating from Borsodszirák, Borsod.His paternal grandmother was a Catholic of Bunjevci origin, but considered herself Hungarian.Bartók's father (1855–1888) was also named Béla. Bartók's mother, Paula (née Voit) (1857-1939), had ethnic German roots but spoke Hungarian fluently.A native of Turócszentmárton (present-day Martin, Slovakia), she also had Hungarian and Slavic ancestry.[citation needed]