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Butler Family History

Butler Surname Meaning

English: from a word that originally denoted a wine steward usually the chief servant of a medieval household from Norman French butuiller (Old French bouteillier Latin buticularius from buticula ‘bottle’). In the large households of royalty and the most powerful nobility the title came to denote an officer of high rank and responsibility only nominally concerned with the supply of wine if at all. As well as being widespread in England this is also the surname of an important Irish family descended from Theobald FitzWalter who was appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177. It is Gaelicized as de Buitléir. English: occasionally perhaps an occupational name from Middle English boteler ‘maker of bottles (usually of leather)’ a derivative of Middle English botel Old French bo(u)teille ‘bottle’ and synonymous with Botelmaker. Americanized form of French Bouthillier (see Bouteiller ). Americanized form of German Buttler 2 a cognate of 1 above or of Buttlar (see Buttler ). Jewish (from Poland and Ukraine): occupational name for a bottle maker from Yiddish butl ‘bottle’ + the agent suffix -er.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Cutler, Butter, Buller, Butner, Beutler, Buttler, Kugler, Bitler

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Where is the Butler family from?

You can see how Butler families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Butler family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Butler families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 497 Butler families living in New York. This was about 17% of all the recorded Butler's in USA. New York had the highest population of Butler families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Butler surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Butler ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Butler. 18% of Butler men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Butler women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Butler were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Butler | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Butler family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Butler. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Butler census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 132,000 immigration records available for the last name Butler. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 239,000 military records available for the last name Butler. For the veterans among your Butler ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Butler lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Butler life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Butler in 1940 was 38, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Butler

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