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

Butterworth, 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 Butterworth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Butterworth in America

Butterworth is the 7597th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Butterworth surname appeared 4,375 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Butterworth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Butterworth 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 Butterworth

The surname Butterworth originated in England during the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Butterworth, near Rochdale in Lancashire. The name is believed to be a combination of the Old English words "butere" meaning butter, and "worth" meaning an enclosure or farm. This suggests the name may have originally referred to a dairy farm or an area known for producing butter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 1177, where it is spelled "Buterwurth". The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to several places with similar names, such as "Butterwic" in Huntingdonshire and "Butterwrth" in Derbyshire. While not directly linked to the Butterworth surname, these entries provide insights into the linguistic origins of the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Butterworth throughout history include:

1. John Butterworth (c. 1604-1670), an English clergyman and academic who served as Master of Christ's College, Cambridge.
2. Joseph Butterworth (1770-1826), a British textile manufacturer and philanthropist, known for his support of various religious and educational causes.
3. Benjamin Butterworth (1768-1828), an English architect and surveyor who designed numerous buildings in Manchester and its surrounding areas.
4. William Butterworth (1814-1900), a British merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry.
5. Hezekiah Butterworth (1839-1905), an American author and educator, best known for his children's stories and biographies of notable figures.

The surname Butterworth has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Butterworth Hall in Lancashire, Butterworth Farm in Derbyshire, and Butterworth Bridge in Yorkshire. These locations likely derived their names from the original Butterworth place name or from individuals bearing the surname who settled in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Butterworth

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

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

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

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