Find out how popular the last name Butt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Butt.

Butt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Butt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Butt in America

Butt is the 5007th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Butt surname appeared 7,020 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Butt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Butt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Butt

The surname "Butt" is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "butt," which referred to a small piece of land or a place where archery butts were set up for target practice.

The earliest recorded use of the surname "Butt" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a person named William Butt is mentioned. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, with references to John le Butt and Robert le Butt.

In the 14th century, the surname "Butt" appeared in various records across England, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Robert del Butt is listed. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1381, mentioning a John Butt.

One notable historical figure with the surname "Butt" was Sir William Butt (c. 1468-1545), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as the Keeper of the Royal Wardrobe and was knighted in 1509.

Another prominent individual with the surname "Butt" was Sir Ralph Butt (c. 1550-1611), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served as the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk. He was involved in the prosecution of Catholic recusants during the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname "Butt" was associated with various place names in England, such as Butt Lane in Cambridgeshire and Butt Farm in Wiltshire. The name was also found in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which listed individuals who swore allegiance to the Protestant religion.

During the 18th century, the surname "Butt" continued to appear in various records, including the Land Tax Assessments of 1798, where individuals such as John Butt and Thomas Butt were listed as landowners.

One notable figure from this period was Isaac Butt (1813-1879), an Irish lawyer, politician, and founder of the Home Rule movement in Ireland. He was a prominent advocate for Irish self-government and served as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.

In the 19th century, the surname "Butt" was found in various census records and parish registers across England and Ireland. One notable individual from this time was Sir Thomas Butt (1839-1923), an English-born Australian politician who served as the Premier of Victoria and the Minister for Lands in the 1890s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Butt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Butt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Butt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Butt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Butt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Butt, please contact us.

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