2000
#7,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Butz
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "bütze," meaning a well or water pipe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,578 Americans carry the last name Butz. That puts it at #7,960 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,870 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butz 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
4.6K
1 in 74,870
Census rank
#7,960
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,992 bearers of the surname Butz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7960th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Butz
The surname Butz originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "butze," which means a rounded or bulging object, possibly referring to a rounded hill or mound. The name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of documents from the region of Anhalt in central Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a person named Henricus Butz is mentioned in relation to a land transaction.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg, which date back to the 14th century. These records mention a family named Butz residing in the city during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named Hans Butz (c. 1420-1480) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Augsburg. His family's wealth and influence were significant enough to warrant mentions in various historical records of the time.
During the 16th century, a scholar and humanist named Johannes Butzbach (c. 1477-1516) gained recognition for his works on philosophy and theology. He was born in the town of Miltenberg, which was then part of the Electoral Palatinate.
Another individual of note was Johann Butz (c. 1563-1629), a German theologian and writer who served as a professor at the University of Strasbourg. His published works include theological treatises and commentaries on biblical texts.
In the 17th century, a family named Butz owned a large estate near the town of Erfurt in central Germany. Records from this period mention a member of the family named Georg Butz (c. 1620-1680), who was a prominent landowner and local official.
While the surname Butz has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butz
Among Census respondents with the surname Butz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Butz 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 Butz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,683
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 141
- Two or more races2.6% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butz
Butz 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
#7,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,220
-45 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 629 places
2020
#7,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,992
-228 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,217 | 4,265 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,846 | 4,220 | 1.43 | -45 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 629 places |
| 2020 | #7,960 | 3,992 | 1.34 | -228 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 114 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 Butz 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 | #7,846 | #7,960 | -1.5% |
| Count | 4,220 | 3,992 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.34 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butz bearers went from 4,220 to 3,992 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,846 to #7,960.
FAQ
Butz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butz?
Name Census estimates that about 4,578 living Americans carry the surname Butz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,870 residents.
How common is Butz?
Butz ranks #7,960 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,992 people with the surname Butz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,578), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Butz.
Has Butz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butz went from 4,220 recorded bearers to 3,992. That is a decrease of 228 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,846 to #7,960.
What does the Census say about the background of Butz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Butz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Butz (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 Butz mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "bütze," meaning a well or water pipe. 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 Butz (1.34 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 Butz?
Find out how many people are called Butz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.