History of your Surname
Get access to Butler family records.Start a free trial

Butler Family History

Butler Name Meaning

English and Irish: 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. Anglicized form of French Boutilier. 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 ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

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 1891 there were 3,492 Butler families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Butler's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Butler families in 1891.
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.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Butler ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Butler. 7% of Butler men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Butler women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Butler were Gardener and Private Means. .

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Gardener
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
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.

Search Australian census records for Butler

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 Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Butler immigration records

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.

View all Butler military records

You've only scratched the surface of Butler family history

Discover More

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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Butler family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial