Butlyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Butlyn is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Norfolk,where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

"Botevilain and Trossebot feared neither blow nor thrust, but heartily gave and took many on that day." Though thus signalised at the Battle of Hastings, the name does not occur in Domesday; and is only found in the following century in Norfolk and Northamptonshire." 1

Early Origins of the Butlyn family

The surname Butlyn was first found in Norfolk, but early records also revealed that the name was found in Northamptonshire where Boutevillaine was changed to Butlin. Such changes were frequently listed "Butlin alias Boutevillaine" up to the time of Elizabeth. 2

"Flordon (in Norfolk) came to the Buttevillains very early. Robert held it in 1139."-Blomfield. According to the Liber Niger, he held two knight's fees of Walter de Wahull, and three of Roger Bigot, Earl of Norfolk. His son William founded Pipewell Abbey in Northamptonshire, where "he held lands, at Pipewell and elsewhere. He was in great favour with Henry II., who, upon going into Normandy, gave him a writ, directed to the Bishops of London and Norwich, and to all his liege people, English and Norman, of Northamptonshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, granting him all the lands and other liberties that his father had enjoyed." 1

Early History of the Butlyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Butlyn research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1150, 1205, 1273, 1344, 1429, 1662 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Butlyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Butlyn Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Butlyn family name include Butlin, Butevilain, Buteuillanus, Butevilein, Botevileyn, Botevilein, Botevelyn, Butveleyn, Butlyn, Butlen, Botlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Butlyn family

More information is included under the topic Early Butlyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Butlyn family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Butlyn surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Butlin who arrived in Barbados in 1668.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.