2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Butkevich
A surname of Belarusian origin meaning "of Butko", a diminutive form of the name Butkus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Butkevich. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butkevich surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Butkevich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butkevich, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Butkevich
The surname Butkevich has its origins in Belarus and dates back to the 14th century. It is a derivative of the Belarusian word "butka," which means "a small building" or "a hut." The name likely originated from a person who lived in or was associated with a small building or a hut.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Butkevich can be found in the Metrica Lituana, a collection of Lithuanian state documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. In these documents, the name appears with various spellings, such as Butkevich, Butkevichus, and Butkevichy.
In the 17th century, the name Butkevich was found in the records of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, indicating that it had spread to other regions of Eastern Europe. During this period, the name was associated with several noble families in Belarus and Lithuania.
One notable bearer of the surname Butkevich was Yan Butkevich (1551-1628), a Belarusian nobleman and military commander who served in the Polish-Lithuanian army. He played a significant role in the Polish-Muscovite War of 1609-1618 and was known for his bravery and leadership.
Another prominent figure with the surname Butkevich was Mikhail Butkevich (1801-1878), a Belarusian writer and historian. He authored several works on the history and culture of Belarus, including "History of the People of Belarus" and "Ethnographic Studies of the Belarusian People."
In the 19th century, the name Butkevich was also found in the records of the Russian Empire. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Nikolai Butkevich (1837-1923), a Russian military officer and writer. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 and later wrote several books on military strategy and tactics.
The name Butkevich has also been associated with several place names in Belarus, such as the village of Butkevichy in the Minsk region and the town of Butka in the Vitebsk region. These place names likely originated from the same root as the surname, reflecting the connection between the name and the concept of a small building or a hut.
While the surname Butkevich is relatively uncommon outside of Eastern Europe, it has left a significant mark in the history and culture of Belarus and other countries in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butkevich
Among Census respondents with the surname Butkevich, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Butkevich bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Butkevich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butkevich
Butkevich appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,479 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,435 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,479 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 9,435 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Butkevich surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #145,028 | -7.0% |
| Count | 124 | 116 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butkevich bearers went from 124 to 116 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 9,435 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #145,028.
FAQ
Butkevich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butkevich?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Butkevich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Butkevich?
Butkevich ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Butkevich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Butkevich.
Has Butkevich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butkevich went from 124 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Butkevich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butkevich, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Butkevich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butkevich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Butkevich (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Butkevich mean?
A surname of Belarusian origin meaning "of Butko", a diminutive form of the name Butkus. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Butkevich (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Butkevich?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Butkevich is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.