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Show ContentsButt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Butt was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a nickname for the Middle English word butt meaning "thicker end" or "stump," in other words a name for a thickset person. Alternatively the name could have been derived from the Middle English word "butt" or the Old French word "but" which both meant a target or mark for archery. In this latter case, the name would be ascribed to one who lived near archery butts or perhaps an archer. 1

Saint Buite (d. 521), was the son of Bronach, and was descended from Tadhg, son of Cian, and therefore belonged to the Cianachta. "Buite, with sixty companions, set out for the country of the Picts of Scotland. Here King Nectan, whom he is reported to have raised from the dead, bestowed on him the castrum or fort in which he lived, and the memory of the gift is perpetuated in the name of the place Carbuddo (Cathair-Buiti), near Dun-Nechtain, now Dunnichen, in Forfar. Crossing over Scotland, he reached the Irish Sea, and embarking arrived at Dalriada, in the north of the county of Antrim, the territory of the Cruithni, or Picts of Ireland, of the same race as those among whom he had been labouring. Here having, we are told, raised the king's daughter from the dead, he received a gift of land, on which he built a church." 2

Early Origins of the Butt family

The surname Butt was first found in the village named Butt in Normandy where William Bot was listed in 1195-1198 3. Another source claims the name was derived from "the name of several places in the arrondissement of Falaise." 4 The earliest records of the name in England include Robertus filius But who was listed in 1137 and Godlambus filius But who was listed in Norfolk in 1133-1160. 1 A few years later, Walter Botte was listed in Oxfordshire in the Rotulus Pipe Rolls in 1189 3 and Roger But who was Viscount of Southampton in 1203 (Magn. Rotulus).

Much further to the north, the Isle of Bute is in the county of Bute, in the Frith of Clyde. 5

Early History of the Butt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Butt research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1486, 1545, 1684, 1733, 1738 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Butt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Butt Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Butt, But, Butte and others.

Early Notables of the Butt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir William Butts (c.1486-1545), a member of King Henry VIII of England's court who served as the King's physician
  • Robert Butts (1684-1748), was bishop successively of Norwich 1733-1738, and of Ely 1738-1748 and was the son of Rev. William Butts, Rctor of Hartest, near Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk. He claimed descent...

Butt World Ranking

In the United States, the name Butt is the 5,069th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Butt is ranked the 757th most popular surname with an estimated 7,063 people with that name. 7 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Butt is the 20th popular surname with an estimated 803 people with that name. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Butt as 767th with 8,749 people. 9

Ireland Migration of the Butt family to Ireland

Some of the Butt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Butt migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Butt or a variant listed above:

Butt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Butt, who landed in Virginia in 1640 10
  • James Butt, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 10
  • William Butt, who landed in Virginia in 1696 10
Butt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Butt, aged 51, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
  • John Butt who arrived in New York in 1812
  • John Butt, who arrived in New York, NY in 1830 10
  • Lena Butt, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 10
  • Dietr Butt who arrived in North America between 1832 and 1849
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Butt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Annie Butt, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Worcester, in 1904
  • Chas. H. Butt, aged 22, who landed in America from Bristol, in 1907
  • Florence Annie Butt, aged 35, who settled in America from Ampthill, England, in 1909
  • Charles Butt, aged 55, who immigrated to the United States from Southampton, England, in 1909
  • Charles John Butt, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States from Shaftesbury, England, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Butt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Butt Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Butt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Butt, who settled in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, in 1706 11
  • Joseph Butt, who settled in Crockers Cove (Carbonear), Newfoundland, in 1706 11
  • Joseph Butt, who settled in Clown's Cove, Newfoundland, in 1747 11
  • Edward Butt, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Joseph Butt, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Butt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Butt, aged 10 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Sir Henry Pottinger" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 12
Butt Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Florence Butt, aged 30, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1912
  • Emma Butt, aged 30, who immigrated to Port au Port, Newfoundland, in 1915
  • Charles Butt, aged 40, who immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, in 1920
  • Donald Butt, aged 0, who settled in Cupids, Newfoundland, in 1922
  • Eliza Butt, aged 56, who immigrated to Trinity, Newfoundland, in 1924
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Butt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Butt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Butt, English convict who was convicted in Wells, Somerset, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 13
  • Thomas Butt, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 14
  • Thomas Butt, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Blundell" in 1851 15
  • Benjamin Butt, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "China" 16
  • Mr. Edwin Butt, (b. 1821), aged 32, English farm labourer, from Nottingham, England, UK travelling aboard the ship "Trafalgar" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th March 1853, he died on board 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Butt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Butt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Butt, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1840
  • Thomas Butt, aged 31, a shepherd, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 18
  • Mr. Thomas Butt, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 18

Contemporary Notables of the name Butt (post 1700) +

  • Howard Edward Butt Sr. (1895-1991), American businessman and philanthropist, founder of the HEB grocery store chain
  • Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936), English contralto, born in Southwick, Sussex, one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s
  • C. M. Butt, American politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate, 1869-70; People's Candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, 1892 19
  • Hugh Roland Butt (1910-2008), American physician who developed methods to treat hemorrhaging patients with vitamin K, President of the American College of Physicians in 1971 and 1972
  • Charles Clarence Butt (b. 1938), American billionaire businessman, son of Howard Butt
  • Howard Edward Butt (1927-2016), American owner of HEB Grocery Company, LP, son of Howard Butt Sr
  • Jimmy Lee Butt (b. 1921), prominent American agricultural engineer
  • Thomas Franklin Butt (b. 1917), American Judge who served as a professor of law at the University of Arkansas 1939-40
  • Lillian Stuart Butt (b. 1901), American educator who devoted her life to a wide variety of causes
  • Peter Butt, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1972 19
  • ... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Robert Henry Butt (d. 1912), aged 22, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 20
  • William John Butt (1877-1912), English saloon steward, member of the engineering crew aboard the RMS Titanic who died in the sinking, his body was recovered by the Mackay-Bennett as No. 77 20
  • Archibald Willingham DeGraffenreid Clarendon Butt (1865-1912), American journalist, military aide to U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft and diplomat who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic 20
SS Caribou
  • Mr. Walter Robert Butt, (Bob), Newfoundland passenger who was Royal Air Force from Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking and later died in action in 1943
SS Southern Cross
  • Mr. John Butt (1893-1914), Newfoundlander from Carbonear who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Butt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Possunt quia posse videntur
Motto Translation: They conquer who believe they can
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  8. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  9. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  10. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  11. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  12. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 16)
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  14. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
  15. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BLUNDELL 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Blundell.htm
  16. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHINA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/china1852.shtml
  17. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_1850_59.pdf
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  20. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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