BUTTS
Butts is a surname of English provenance, traditionally classed as a topographic name. It is believed to have first arisen in the British Isles as an indicator of a person dwelling near, or associated with, a place where archery was practiced.
The etymology of the name is grounded in the Old English word butt, a pre‑seventeenth‑century term denoting an archery target or a marked piece of land for shooting practice. In the same period, the Middle English word butte continued to mean a target or a mark for archery. The term ultimately derives from the old French but, meaning an aim or a target, which suggests that the surname was originally a descriptive label for an archer or a person living close to an archery range.
Other scholars have proposed that the name could also originate from the Middle English word butte meaning ‘barrel’, which would signify a maker or seller of barrels. However, this derivation is considered less likely as the precedence of the archery‑related meaning is more strongly supported by documentary evidence.
Historical records reflect the earliest appearances of the surname. The court rolls of Ramsey, concerning King Henry I’s reign (1100‑1135), contain a reference to a Walter But (1114‑1130). Subsequent entries include Richard de la Butte in the 1201 Pipe Rolls of Dorset and Ranulph del Butts in the 1296 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex. These documents confirm the presence of the name in both Hampshire and Sussex during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
During the seventeenth century, the surname was particularly common in Devon and Cornwall, where it appeared in various spellings such as Butts, Butson, and Butting; the latter two are understood as patronymic forms meaning “son of But”. An early christening record from 1544 names William Butt in South Tawton, Devon, and in 1610 a marriage was documented between Mary Butt and Henry Conant at St. Mary’s in Offery, Devon.
Prominent individuals bearing the surname include George Butt (1741‑1795), who served as Chaplain to King George III in 1783, and Sir Charles Parker Butt (1830‑1892), a Justice of the High Court who was knighted in 1883. Their careers illustrate the integration of families with the surname into the wider social and political fabric of England.
In later centuries, holders of the surname migrated beyond the British Isles. The name can be found in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States, as well as in other English‑speaking nations such as Canada and Australia. Contemporary demographic data indicate that Butts is the twenty‑seventh hundred and forty‑seventh most common surname in the United States, with over twelve thousand bearers. While considerably rarer outside English‑speaking contexts, the surname continues to be recognised in the UK and other countries.
Variants of the surname include Butt, But, Butte, Boutt, Bouts, Butson, Butting, Buttis, Buttas, Buttock, Buttrick, Buttress, Button, and Butting. These alternative forms reflect differences in regional spelling conventions and, in some cases, attitudes towards the occupational or topographic origins of the name. Similar surnames occasionally appear, such as Archer, Bowman, and Targett, which share the same basic meaning of an individual associated with archery or a target.
While the above information reflects well‑documented evidence, it is recognised that surnames may evolve over time and may acquire multiple independent origins. Consequently, an accurate identification of a particular branch’s lineage generally requires a detailed examination of the associated genealogical record.
Typical given names associated with the Butts surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- Darren
- David
- John
- Jonathan
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Roland
- Simon
- Stephen
- Steven
- Terence
Female
- Anne
- Bianca
- Christina
- Claire
- Hayley
- Helen
- Jean
- Joanne
- Julie
- Lisa
- Mary
- Susan
- Valerie
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
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There are approximately 591 people named Butts in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around nine in a million people in Britain are named Butts.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Butts
- Mary Butts - Novelist (1890 to 1937)
- Alan Butts - Wrestler
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.