2000
#98
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 210,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 78.17
Common Last name
Butler
An occupational surname referring to a servant in charge of the wine cellar or the household in general.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 238,710 Americans carry the last name Butler. That puts it at #112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 69.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,436 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Butler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
239K
1 in 1,436
Census rank
#112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
69.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
208K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 208,167 bearers of the surname Butler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 69.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butler, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Butler
The surname Butler has its origins in the medieval occupation of the same name, derived from the Old French 'bouteillier', meaning 'bottle bearer' or 'cup bearer'. This role was initially a high-ranking position in noble households, responsible for managing the wine cellar and serving drinks to the lord and his guests.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Butler can be traced back to the 12th century in England and Ireland. It is believed that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066. In Ireland, the powerful Butler family established themselves as the Earls of Ormond and played a significant role in the country's history.
One of the most notable early references to the name Butler can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book lists several individuals with the surname Butler, indicating their presence in various parts of England during that time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Theobald Butler (1201-1285) served as the Chief Butler of Ireland and was granted extensive lands in County Tipperary. His descendants became known as the Butlers of Ormond and held significant power and influence in Ireland for centuries.
Another notable Butler was James Butler (1610-1688), the first Duke of Ormond, who played a pivotal role in the English Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy under Charles II. He was a skilled military commander and served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
In the United States, the Butler name gained prominence with individuals such as Benjamin Franklin Butler (1818-1893), a major general in the American Civil War and a prominent political figure. He served as a congressman and the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts.
Renowned novelist and critic Samuel Butler (1835-1902) was an English author best known for his satirical works, including the utopian novel "Erewhon" and the semi-autobiographical novel "The Way of All Flesh".
The surname Butler has also been associated with various place names, such as Butlerstown in County Waterford, Ireland, and Butler County in Pennsylvania, United States, reflecting the impact and presence of families bearing this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butler
Among Census respondents with the surname Butler, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Butler 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 Butler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.3% · 125,427
- Black or African American30.4% · 63,364
- Two or more races4.5% · 9,404
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 7,036
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1,622
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1,314
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butler
Butler 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
#108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218,847
+7,968 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 74.19
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208,167
-10,680 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 69.64
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98 | 210,879 | 78.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108 | 218,847 | 74.19 | +7,968 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #112 | 208,167 | 69.64 | -10,680 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 4 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 Butler 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 | #108 | #112 | -3.7% |
| Count | 218,847 | 208,167 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 74.19 | 69.64 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butler bearers went from 218,847 to 208,167 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #108 to #112.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Butler
FAQ
Butler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butler?
Name Census estimates that about 238,710 living Americans carry the surname Butler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,436 residents.
How common is Butler?
Butler ranks #112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 69.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 70 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 208,167 people with the surname Butler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (238,710), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 69.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 69.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 70 of them to have the surname Butler.
Has Butler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butler went from 218,847 recorded bearers to 208,167. That is a decrease of 10,680 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #108 to #112.
What does the Census say about the background of Butler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butler, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (30.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Butler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.3% (125,427 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.3%), Black (30.4%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Butler (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 Butler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a servant in charge of the wine cellar or the household in general. 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 Butler (69.64 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 Americans have the surname Butler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.