Given name & surname
Butler
“the keeper of the bottles (wine, liquor)”
Butler is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “the keeper of the bottles (wine, liquor).”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “the keeper of the bottles (wine, liquor).”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Butler developed from BOUTHILLIER. In English usage, Butler developed from BOUTILIER.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Butler through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 987
- 987 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1919
- 31 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 1996. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 31 in 1919. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 432 as a first name in 2020; 208,167 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Butler’s family of names
In English usage, Butler developed from the French form BOUTHILLIER. Butler has a related form in Butlar. Butler has a related form in Butlir.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Buttlyrvariant
- Butlyrvariant
- Buttlirvariant
- Butlirvariant
- Buttlorvariant
- Butlorvariant
- Buttlarvariant
- Butlarvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Butler
- Butler LampsonAmerican computer scientist (born 1943)
- Butler DerrickU.S. Representative from South Carolina (1936-2014)
- Butler B. HareUS Congressman from 2nd district 1915–1933 and 3rd district 1939-19471875–1967
- Butler AmesAmerican politician, engineer, soldier and businessman (1871-1954)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Butler, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sumner
“a legal official; one who serves summons”
82% boys · 18% girls
Booker
“one who binds books; a scribe”
>99% boys
Homer
“a tomboyish woman” · “of the pledge; an epic poet”
>99% boys
Buck
“resembling a male deer”
>99% boys
Burton
“from the fortified town”
>99% boys
Gardner
“one who works the earth” · “the keeper of the garden”
97% boys · 3% girls
Chester
“from the camp of the soldiers”
>99% boys
Lester
“roman fort” · “a man from Leicester”
>99% boys