The Butt surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,020 people carried this name — #5,007 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 6,732 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Butt surname
As an English surname, from Middle English butte (“target, goal”), from French but (“target, aim”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Butt» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 310 people named Butt live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Brussels-Capital.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
206 people named Butt live in Switzerland.
They live in 14 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
70 people named Butt have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 221 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 10 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Łódź.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 36 people named Butt.
Most of them — 32 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
1,239 people named Butt are counted in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s
Butt was found among the farmers of 4 counties.
It was most frequent in Gloucestershire: 27 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 370. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.
Where it concentrates, on the mapPer 10,000 farmers, by county
H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.
In Scotland’s registers today
Butt was recorded 18 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.
That made it the 1248th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the first U.S. census, 1790
120 families named Butt, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.
Each family is counted by its head. About 659 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.
Families, by state
U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 232 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.
In print
Butt in American newspapers,
1877–1915.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,460 pages in all carry the name.
In print
Butt in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.
36,763 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Butt. The most, 5,404, date from the 1930s.
Articles, by state
Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Butt.
Who carried it
People named Butt,
with a public archive behind them.
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Isaac Butt 1813–1879 · politician -
McCoskry Butt 1858–1921 · stockbroker -
Archibald Butt 1865–1912 · military officer -
Harry Butt 1865–1928 · cricket umpire -
Clara Butt 1872–1936 · opera singer
Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 148 lives in all are documented under this name.
In the public record
People named Butt,
in the records of 9 countries.
Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.
United States1,264 records
- Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 405
- New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 343
- Other U.S. records 516
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Example: U.S. war memorial War record Herbert Hambly ButtBorn 1936; from Williamsburg, Virginia. U.S. Army, infantry unit commander; died in an accident 1968 in Vinh Binh, South Vietnam. Buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record John G. ButtBorn 1910 in Maryland. Enlisted 1942 at Baltimore; insurance salesman from Baltimore City. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1958, buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Anna ButtArrived at New York in 1861 aboard the Ottilie from Bremen, aged 20; servant. From Hanover, Germany; bound for New York.
U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
Showing 3 of 1,264 records for Butt in the United States.
Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).
Australia769 records
- Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 302
- Tasmanian Names Index 157
- Other Australian records 310
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Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record John ButtDied 1888 in Ringarooma, Tasmania, aged 69. Will registered in Tasmania in 1888.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Agnes Emily ButtBorn 1879 in Port Sorell, Tasmania. Married 1898 in Sheffield, Tasmania, aged 19.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record Thomas ButtTransported to New South Wales aboard the Mariner, arriving 1827; ticket of leave 1835. Native of Sligo.
Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
Showing 3 of 769 records for Butt in Australia.
Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).
Canada167 records
- Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 118
- Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
- Other Canadian records 38
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Example: civil register, 1880 Civil record George ButtKilled in 1917 at the Dominion No. 12 mine, Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record Jas G. ButtCame to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Guelph, Ontario; Irish.
Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record David Wallace ButtBuried in 1979 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 49.
City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
Showing 3 of 167 records for Butt in Canada.
Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).
Germany133 records
- Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 131
- German emigration and citizenship files 2
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Example: German casualty list, 1918 Casualty list Willy ButtBorn 1892; from Berlin. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 26 November 1914; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 2 January 1917; then listed as returned from captivity in the list of 13 June 1918 (Grenadier Regiment No. 3).
Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) -
Example: German emigration file, 1883 Emigration record Christian Friedrich ButtEmigrated to North America in 1871.
Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0) -
Example: German emigration file, 1883 Emigration record Carl Julius ButtEmigrated to North America in 1886.
Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
Showing 3 of 133 records for Butt in Germany.
Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).
New Zealand42 records
- Christchurch City cemetery records 18
- Marlborough District cemetery records 17
- Other New Zealand records 7
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Ernest Walter ButtDied 1975, aged 56; buried at Ward Cemetery, Marlborough.
Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record James William ButtDied 1948, aged 81; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.
Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Mary Ann ButtBuried in 1903 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 65.
Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 42 records for Butt in New Zealand.
Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).
United Kingdom34 records
- War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 24
- St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
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Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Mary ButtBuried in 1826 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 23.
MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. -
Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919 War record H. A. M. ButtCorporal, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.
National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Ann ButtBuried in 1804 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 33.
MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Showing 3 of 34 records for Butt in the United Kingdom.
Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Netherlands26 records
- Dutch population registers 12
- Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 8
- Dutch church registers before 1811 6
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Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Henriette ButtMarried in 1858 in Wieringerwaard; maidservant. Died 1922 in Barsingerhorn, aged 91.
Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Anna Christina ButtMarried in 1873 in 's-Gravenhage; domestic servant.
Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Edward L. ButtDied 1941 in Ameland.
Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 26 records for Butt in the Netherlands.
Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
France3 records
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Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Joseph ButtBorn 1908 in Poland; died 1997 in Penchard (Seine-et-Marne).
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
Showing 1 of 3 records for Butt in France.
Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).
Norway1 record
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Example: U.S. census, 1910 Census record Heinrich Wilhelm ButtCensus of 1910: Lille-Re, Stange; "pianostemmer", born 1864.
Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Butt.
- Butel 138 · U.S. census
- Butera 2,965 · U.S. census
- Buti 222 · U.S. census
- Butin 179 · U.S. census
- Butler 218,847 · U.S. census
- Butscher 216 · U.S. census
- Butte 589 · U.S. census
- Butterfield 11,468 · U.S. census
- Butti 186 · U.S. census
- Buttigieg 216 · U.S. census
- Buttner 853 · U.S. census
- Button 7,341 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Butt is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.