2000
#4,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.64
Rare Last name
Button
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of buttons, or a nickname for a diminutive person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,977 Americans carry the last name Button. That puts it at #4,918 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Button 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 Button with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,968
Census rank
#4,918
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,956 bearers of the surname Button in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4918th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Button, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Button
The surname Button has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "boton," meaning a small knob or button, which was likely an occupational name for someone who made or sold buttons.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Button can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century. One notable example is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John le Botoner. This early spelling variation highlights the occupation-based nature of the name.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across England, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a William le Botoner in Oxfordshire. The Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292 also mentions a Thomas Button from Suffolk.
In the 15th century, the name Button was firmly established across England, with families bearing the surname residing in various counties. One notable figure from this period was Sir William Button (c. 1435-1491), a prominent landowner and member of Parliament for Hertfordshire.
The 16th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the surname Button. Sir Thomas Button (c. 1575-1634) was an English explorer and navigator who led expeditions to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. Another notable figure was Ralph Button (c. 1561-1624), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
During the 17th century, the Button family continued to play a role in English society. Sir William Button (1598-1663) was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock. Additionally, Thomas Button (1617-1682) was an English merchant and writer who penned several works on trade and economics.
In the 18th century, the name Button was found across various parts of England, with families residing in counties such as Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Cambridgeshire. One notable figure from this period was Sir Thomas Button (1718-1794), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
The 19th century saw the Button surname spread further across the British Empire and beyond. Sir Thomas Townsend Button (1808-1887) was a British naval officer and surveyor who served in Australia and New Zealand. Another notable figure was Charles Button (1815-1898), an English author and journalist who wrote extensively on natural history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Button
Among Census respondents with the surname Button, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Button 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 Button surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 6,175
- Two or more races3.9% · 270
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 241
- Black or African American2.2% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Button
Button 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
#4,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,341
+230 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.49
Rank movement Down 234 places
2020
#4,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,956
-385 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,576 | 7,111 | 2.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,810 | 7,341 | 2.49 | +230 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 234 places |
| 2020 | #4,918 | 6,956 | 2.33 | -385 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 108 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 Button 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 | #4,810 | #4,918 | -2.2% |
| Count | 7,341 | 6,956 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.49 | 2.33 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Button bearers went from 7,341 to 6,956 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,810 to #4,918.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Button
FAQ
Button surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Button?
Name Census estimates that about 7,977 living Americans carry the surname Button. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,968 residents.
How common is Button?
Button ranks #4,918 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 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 6,956 people with the surname Button. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 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 Button.
Has Button become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Button went from 7,341 recorded bearers to 6,956. That is a decrease of 385 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,810 to #4,918.
What does the Census say about the background of Button?
Among Census respondents with the surname Button, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Button in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (6,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Button appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Button (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 Button mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of buttons, or a nickname for a diminutive person. 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 Button (2.33 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 share the surname Button?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.