# Butler (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/butler/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English and Irish surname from Middle English [in turn originating as an occupation], for someone who was a butler or wine servant.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | occupational, named after the work an ancestor did |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 218,847 |
| US rank (2010) | 108 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,411 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.8% (210,879 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

* (English surname): From Middle English Butler. * (Anglicized surname): From French Boutilier, Boutillier, Bouthillier. * (placename): From the surname

## Who carries it

Share of people named Butler in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 62% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 32% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Butler in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, The Bahamas and Irish Free State.

## People named Butler

- Judith Butler, American feminist gender studies philosopher (born 1956)
- Austin Butler, American actor (born 1991)
- Nicholas Murray Butler, American philosopher, diplomat, and educator (1862-1947)
- Octavia E. Butler, American science fiction writer (1947-2006)
- Jimmy Butler, American basketball player (born 1989)
- Benjamin Franklin Butler, American general and politician (1818–1893)
- Dan Butler, American actor
- Caron Butler, American basketball player (born 1980)
- Laphonza Butler, American politician and labor union official (born 1979)
- Yancy Butler, American television and film actress (born 1970)
- David Butler, American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter and television director (1894-1
- Brett Butler, American actress

and 67 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Beutler, Buttler, Beitler.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.