Contents [hide]

Button History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Button History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

The name Button has been recorded in British history since the time when the Anglo-Saxons ruled over the region. The name is assumed to have been given to someone who was a maker of buttons. The surname Button is a metonymic name derived from the Old French word boton, which means button.

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old English "bi" + "dun," collectively meaning "dweller by the down." 1

Early Origins of the Button family

The surname Button was first found in Hampshire and later in Gloucestershire and Somerset. Lower says the family can be traced to the 13th century in Hampshire where Sir Walter de Button was progenitor of the family about 1216 A.D. 2 The family had flourished for several centuries in that county, intermarrying with many distinguished families, supplementing their estates with marriages of the heiresses of the Furneaux, Bryan, Turbevilles, Bassets and others.

According to the Pipe Rolls of 1177, Trihon Bidon held lands there at that time and over one hundred years later, William Bidun was listed in Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279. 1

William of Bitton I (d. 1264,) also listed as William Button was a medieval Bishop of Bath and Wells. His nephews included another William of Bitton (d. 1274,) was also Bishop of Bath and Wells; and William's brother, a Thomas of Bitton (d. 1307,) an Archdeacon and Dean of Wells, and later Bishop of Exeter (1291-1307). 3

Further to the north in Scotland, "Walter de Bydun witnessed King David's gift of Rindelgros (i.e. Rhind in Perthshire) to the Abbey of Reading c. 1143-47. He or a succeeding Walter appears several times as chancellor of Scotland between c. 1165 and 1178, and as a witness to royal charters. A twelfth century pedigree of the family is given in Pipe Roll Society Publications, vol. xxxv, p. xliii." 4

Early History of the Button family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Button research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1355, 1566, 1584, 1612, 1613, 1614, 1620, 1624, 1625, 1629, 1634, 1646, 1648, 1655, 1659, 1665, 1679, 1680 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Button History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Button Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Button has been spelled many different ways, including Button, Bitton, Buttoner, Buton, Biton, Buttons, Boutin, Bouttin, Bouton, Boutton, Budden, Buddan, Boudin, Bouddin, Buttan, Buddon, Buddin, Butten, Buttin, Butting, Budding, Buttane and many more.

Early Notables of the Button family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Budden (1566-1620), Professor of civil law at Oxford, son of John Budden of Canford, Dorsetshire; Sir William Button, 1st Baronet (1584-1655), an English politician who sat in the House of Common...
Admiral Sir Thomas Button (died 1634) was a Welsh officer of the Royal Navy, notable as an explorer who in 1612-1613 commanded an expedition that unsuccessfully attempted to locate explorer Henry Huds...

Button World Ranking

In the United States, the name Button is the 3,725^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Button is ranked the 269^th most popular surname with an estimated 164 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Button family to Ireland

Some of the Button family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Button migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Buttons to arrive in North America:

Button Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Button, who settled in Virginia in 1623
John Button, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 7
Eliz Button, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 7
Robert Button, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1642 7
Matthias Button, who arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1648 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Button Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Button, who landed in New Jersey in 1703-1716 7
Margarett Button, who landed in Virginia in 1719 7
Ralph Button, who arrived in Virginia in 1723 7
George Button, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 7
Samuel Button, who landed in America in 1765 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Button Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Button, who landed in New York in 1844 7
John, Joseph, Joshua, and William Button, all, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1837 and 1848
J P Button, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
I B Button, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
Martin R Button, who landed in Arkansas in 1882 7

Button Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. John Button, (b. 1878), aged 25, Cornish miner, from Bugle, St. Austell, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 17th May 1903 en route to Victor, Colorado, USA 8

Button migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Button Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Richard Button, who settled in Old Perlican, Newfoundland in 1746 9
Henry Button, who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1770

Button Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Stephen Button, who settled in Heart's Content, Newfoundland in 1801 9
Thomas Button of Vere Island (Fair Island), Newfoundland in 1836
William Button was a fisherman of Seal Cove, Newfoundland in 1852
Richard Button, who settled in Round Harbour, Newfoundland in 1852
William Button fisherman of Hants Harbour, Newfoundland in 1854
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Button migration to Australia +

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

Button Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Button, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. William Button, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Stephen Button, (b. 1792), aged 28, British Convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. James Button, English convict who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Zachariah Button, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Button 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:

Button Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Button, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
Mrs. Anna Mary Button, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th March 1852 15
Mr. Robert Button, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th March 1852 15
Mr. Edward Button, (b. 1843), aged 16, English labourer from England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 16
Emma Button, aged 16, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alumbagh" in 1875 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Button migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17

Button Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Edward Button, aged 28, who arrived in Jamaica in 1684 7
Mary Button who settled in Jamaica in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Button (post 1700) +

Daniel Evan Button (1917-2009), American politician, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York
Richard Totten "Dick" Button (b. 1929), American former figure skater
Stephen Decatur Button (1813-1897), American architect
Jensen Alexander Lyons Button MBE (b. 1980), British Formula One driver and the 2009 World Drivers' Champion
Peter Thomas Button OBE (1929-1987), New Zealand pioneering rescue helicopter pilot
Jen Button (b. 1977), Canadian retired female butterfly and freestyle swimmer
Button Gwinnett (1735-1777), English-born, American politician who was the second of the signatories on the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia

Historic Events for the Button family +

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Bertie Button (b. 1876), Welsh coal miner from Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
Mr. Harold Arthur Button (b. 1887), Welsh coal miner from Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies