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

Butter, 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 Butter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Butter in America

Butter is the 39164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Butter surname appeared 562 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Butter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Butter 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 Butter

The surname BUTTER is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "butere," referring to a maker or seller of butter. This occupational surname was commonly found in areas with a thriving dairy industry, particularly in southern and central England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BUTTER surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a "William le Buttere." The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also reference a "William le Buttere" and a "Robert le Butture."

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the BUTTER surname appeared in various forms, including Buttur, Buttur, Buttour, and Buttere, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 list a "Richard le Buttere" in Essex, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 include a "Johannes Butter."

The BUTTER surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Butter, a 16th-century English Puritan minister and author, who served as the vicar of Bury St. Edmunds and published works on theology and church governance (born around 1550, died in 1628).

Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Butter, a 17th-century English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Arundel and Midhurst. He played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and was knighted by King William III (born in 1636, died in 1689).

In the 18th century, Nathaniel Butter, an English clergyman and antiquarian, made notable contributions to the study of ancient manuscripts and inscriptions. He served as the rector of Kemerton in Gloucestershire and published works on Roman inscriptions found in Britain (born in 1684, died in 1765).

The 19th century saw the rise of William Butter, a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the Towngate Theatre in Basildon. He was also involved in the restoration of various historic buildings (born in 1772, died in 1856).

More recently, Walter Butter, an English artist and illustrator, gained recognition for his work in the early 20th century. He is particularly known for his illustrations in books by authors such as H.G. Wells and G.K. Chesterton (born in 1892, died in 1949).

While the BUTTER surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the rich heritage and origins of this occupational surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Butter

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

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 Butter 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 Butter 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 Butter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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