2000
#87,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Buttz
A habitational name for someone from a place with a German name meaning "little wood" or "thicket".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 225 Americans carry the last name Buttz. That puts it at #98,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,523,353 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buttz 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.
Bearers in the US
225
1 in 1,523,353
Census rank
#98,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
196
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 196 bearers of the surname Buttz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buttz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buttz
The surname BUTTZ originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "butze," which referred to a rounded or protruding object, potentially a descriptive nickname for an individual with a large belly or rotund appearance.
The earliest recorded instances of the BUTTZ surname date back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany. One notable early bearer was Hans Buttz, a merchant from Nuremberg who was documented in city records from the year 1372.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the BUTTZ name appeared in various German municipalities and principalities, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Butz, Butze, or Butzen. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices of the time.
In the 17th century, Johann Buttz (1592-1666), a German theologian and author from Saxony, gained recognition for his scholarly works on religious subjects. His influential writings contributed to the spread and recognition of the BUTTZ surname beyond his local region.
Another notable bearer was Friedrich Buttz (1705-1775), a renowned architect from Hesse who designed several notable buildings, including the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, which still stands today as a testament to his skill and legacy.
As the German population dispersed throughout Europe and later to the Americas, the BUTTZ surname traveled with them. One such example is Gottlieb Buttz (1768-1842), a German immigrant to Pennsylvania who established a successful farming operation and left a lasting impact on the local community.
Over the centuries, the BUTTZ surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and professionals. While its origins may have stemmed from a descriptive nickname, the name has evolved to represent a rich tapestry of German heritage and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buttz
Among Census respondents with the surname Buttz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Buttz 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 Buttz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 15
- Black or African American3.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buttz
Buttz 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
#105,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
-28 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 17,871 places
2020
#98,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
+27 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 6,706 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,729 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,600 | 169 | 0.06 | -28 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 17,871 places |
| 2020 | #98,894 | 196 | 0.07 | +27 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 6,706 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 Buttz 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 | #105,600 | #98,894 | 6.4% |
| Count | 169 | 196 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buttz bearers went from 169 to 196 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 6,706 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,600 to #98,894.
FAQ
Buttz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buttz?
Name Census estimates that about 225 living Americans carry the surname Buttz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,523,353 residents.
How common is Buttz?
Buttz ranks #98,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 196 people with the surname Buttz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Buttz.
Has Buttz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buttz went from 169 recorded bearers to 196. That is an increase of 27 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #105,600 to #98,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Buttz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buttz, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Buttz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buttz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (7.7%), Black (3.1%). 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 Buttz (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 Buttz mean?
A habitational name for someone from a place with a German name meaning "little wood" or "thicket". 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 Buttz (0.07 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 common is the surname Buttz?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Buttz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.