2000
#4,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,732
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.50
Rare Last name
Butt
An English occupational surname for a wine cask or barrel maker, derived from the Middle English word "butt."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,321 Americans carry the last name Butt. That puts it at #4,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,191 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butt 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 Butt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,191
Census rank
#4,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,256 bearers of the surname Butt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butt, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (44.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butt
Among Census respondents with the surname Butt, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (44.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Butt 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 Butt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.6% · 3,455
- Asian and Pacific Islander44.5% · 3,230
- Two or more races3.6% · 263
- Black or African American2.3% · 164
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butt
Butt 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
#5,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,020
+288 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 213 places
2020
#4,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,256
+236 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Up 275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,794 | 6,732 | 2.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,007 | 7,020 | 2.38 | +288 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 213 places |
| 2020 | #4,732 | 7,256 | 2.43 | +236 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 275 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 Butt 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 | #5,007 | #4,732 | 5.5% |
| Count | 7,020 | 7,256 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.43 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butt bearers went from 7,020 to 7,256 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 275 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,007 to #4,732.
FAQ
Butt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butt?
Name Census estimates that about 8,321 living Americans carry the surname Butt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,191 residents.
How common is Butt?
Butt ranks #4,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,256 people with the surname Butt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Butt.
Has Butt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butt went from 7,020 recorded bearers to 7,256. That is an increase of 236 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,007 to #4,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Butt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butt, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (44.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Butt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.6% (3,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (44.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Butt (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 Butt mean?
An English occupational surname for a wine cask or barrel maker, derived from the Middle English word "butt." 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 Butt (2.43 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 have the last name Butt?
See how many Americans have the surname Butt on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.