Show ContentsButner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Bavariais the ancestral home of the Butner family. Hereditary surnames began to be used in Germany during the 12th century. Names like Butner, that came from the name of the job done by their initial bearer, were very popular. Butner is an occupational name for a cooper or a barrel maker. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the German word Bute, which means cask or wine barrel. In the Middle Ages, the Butner family was responsible for making the barrels that held ale, beer and wines. In Bavaria, the Butner family became renowned for its many branches and for the influential role it played in the social, economic and political development of the region.

Early Origins of the Butner family

The surname Butner was first found in Bavaria, where the name Buttner became noted for its many branches within the region where each house acquired a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. Over time, the family became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility.

Early History of the Butner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Butner research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1679, 1792, 1793, 1830, 1834, 1837 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Butner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Butner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Buttner, Butner, Buttnner, Butnner, Beuttner, Butener, Buttener, Buttnen, Buttnel, Buttnele, Butnen, Butnel, Butnele, Bottner, Boettner, Buettner, Botner, Boetner and many more.

Early Notables of the Butner family

Prominent among members of the name Butner in this period include Crato Bütner (1616-1679), a German Baroque composer, but his collection of baroque works disappeared in 1945.Benjamin Beutler, born at Mühlhausen near Erfurt 1793; died there 1837; was a friend of Forkel, organist of...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Butner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Butner Ranking

In the United States, the name Butner is the 17,419th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Butner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Butner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Christoph Butner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2
  • David Butner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Butner (post 1700) +

  • Cory Butner (b. 1981), American silver medalist bobsledder at the 2012 Bobsleigh World Cup
  • Samuel E. Butner, American politician, Mayor of Salem, North Carolina (1896-1901) and (1903-1907)
  • John W. Butner, American politician, Mayor of Chillicothe, Missouri (1881-1883)
  • Henry Wolfe Butner (1875-1937), United States Army general in World War I, eponym of Camp Butner near Durham, North Carolina and the USS General H. W. Butner (AP-113)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook