Butler is a surname that has been associated with many different places and people. It can be either:
- an Anglicisation of the French surname Boutilier, Bouthillier,[1][2] a cognate of the English name.
- an English occupational name that originally denoted a servant in charge of the wine cellar, from the Norman French word butuiller.[1] It eventually came to be used to describe a servant of high responsibility in a noble household, mostly leaving behind its association with the supply of wine.[1]
- in Ireland, a noble family and dynasty associated with the counties of Tipperary, Kilkenny and parts of County Carlow.[2]
- an Anglicisation of German or Swiss-German surnames including Beutler, Bütler, Beidler.[3]
Notable people with the surname Butler
editDisambiguation of common given names with this surname
edit- Adam Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Andrew Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Anthony Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Arthur Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Benjamin Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Bill Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Brett Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Charles Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Chris Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- David Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Daniel Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Edward Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Eleanor Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Frank Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- George Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Guy Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Jack Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- James Butler (disambiguation), includes Jim Butler and Jimmy Butler
- Jason Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Jerry Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- John Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Joseph Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Kevin Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Matthew Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Michael Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Paul Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Percy Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Pierce Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Richard Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Robert Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Samuel Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Sarah Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Thomas Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Tom Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Tony Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- Walter Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
- William Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
Arts and letters
edit- Archie Butler (actor) (1911–1977), American actor, crewman, and stuntman
- Artt Butler (born 1969), American voice actor
- Austin Butler (born 1991), American actor
- Bernard Butler (born 1970), English musician, of McAlmont and Butler
- Bisa Butler (born 1973), American quilt artist
- Blair Butler (born 1977), American comedy writer/comedian
- Brian Patrick Butler, American actor and filmmaker
- Bryon Butler (1934–2001), English sports writer and broadcaster
- Champ Butler (1926–1992), American popular music singer
- Charlotte Butler, 17th-century English actress
- Cher Butler, American model and actor
- Clementina Butler (1862–1949), American evangelist and author
- Dan Butler, American actor
- Daws Butler, American voice actor
- Dean Butler (actor), Canadian/American actor
- Dori Hillestad Butler, American author of children's books
- Ellis Parker Butler, American writer
- Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, English artist
- Francis Butler (dog trainer), American writer and dog-trainer
- Geezer Butler, English musician, bass guitar player in Black Sabbath
- Gerald Butler (writer) (1907–1988), English writer and screenwriter
- Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
- Grace Butler, New Zealand artist
- Gwendoline Butler (1922–2013), English writer
- Henry Butler, American jazz pianist
- Hubert Butler, Irish essayist
- Hugo Butler, Canadian screenwriter
- Jazz Ishmael Butler, American rapper and singer known professionally as Lil Tracy
- Jonathan Butler, South African singer-songwriter
- Judith Butler, American feminist philosopher and queer theorist
- Larry Butler (producer), American country music producer
- Linda Butler, American photographer
- Marcus Butler, British vlogger
- Matt Butler, American singer-songwriter
- Mildred Anne Butler (1858–1941), Irish artist
- Nickolas Butler, American writer
- Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006), American science fiction writer
- Rachel Barton Butler (died 1920), American writer, lyricist and playwright
- Ralph Butler, British lyricist
- Reg Butler, English sculptor
- Rhett Ayers Butler, American environmental journalist
- Ross Butler (actor) (born 1990), American actor
- Shay Butler, YouTube personality and vlogger
- Terry Butler, American musician
- Wanda Nero Butler (born 1958), American gospel musician
- Win Butler, American musician
- Yancy Butler, American actor
Politics, law
edit- Christine Butler (1943–2017), British politician
- Colvin G. Butler (1872–1961), American politician
- David Butler (politician) (1829–1891), first Governor of Nebraska
- Dawn Butler (born 1969), British politician
- Eleanor Butler Sanders (1849–1905), American suffragist, civil rights activist
- Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, English judge
- Frederick Butler (1873–1961), British civil servant
- Gordon H. Butler (1889–1964), American civil engineer and politician
- Homer M. Butler, American politician
- Josephine Butler, English activist of the Victorian era
- Laphonza Butler (born c. 1979), American politician
- Louis B. Butler, American judge
- Manley Caldwell Butler (1925–2014), U.S. Representative from Virginia
- Marion Butler, American politician
- Marty Butler, American politician
- Milo Butler, governor-general of the Bahamas
- Petra Butler, New Zealand legal academic
- Robin Butler, British civil servant
- Tubal Uriah Butler, Grenadian labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago
- Walker Butler, American jurist and politician
Nobility
edit- Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran (died 1758)
- Edmund Butler, 2nd Viscount Mountgarret (died 1602)
- Edmund Butler, 4th Viscount Mountgarret (1595–1679)
- Edmund Butler, 10th Viscount Mountgarret (died 1779)
- Edmund Butler, 11th Viscount Mountgarret (1745–1793)
- Edmund Butler, 15th Viscount Mountgarret (1875–1918)
- Edmund Butler, 1st Earl of Kilkenny (1771–1846)
- Henry Butler, 13th Viscount Mountgarret (1816–1900)
- Henry Butler, 14th Viscount Mountgarret (1844–1912)
- James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormonde (c. 1305 – 1337)
- James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormonde (died 1382)
- James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde (died 1405)
- James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde (died 1452)
- James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde (1421–1462)
- James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormonde (died 1546)
- James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (1610–1688) created Duke in 1661
- James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665–1745)
- James Arthur Wellington Foley Butler, 4th Marquess of Ormonde (1849–1943)
- James Arthur Norman Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde (1893–1971)
- James Edward William Theobald Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde (1844–1919)
- James George Anson Butler, 5th Marquess of Ormonde (1890–1949)
- James Hubert Theobald Charles Butler, 7th Marquess of Ormonde (1899–1997)
- James Wandesford Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde (1777–1838)
- John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormonde (died 1478)
- John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde (died 1766)
- John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde (1740–1795)
- John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde (1808–1854)
- Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde (died 1539)(also 1st Earl of Ossory)
- Piers Butler, 16th Viscount Mountgarret (1903–1966)
- Piers Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret (born 1961)
- Richard Butler, 1st Viscount Mountgarret (1500–1571)
- Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret (1578–1651)
- Richard Butler, 17th Viscount Mountgarret (1936–2004)
- Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler, first Chief Butler of Ireland, father of Theobald le Botiller
- Theobald Butler, 2nd Baron Butler, otherwise known as Theobald le Botiller
- Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde (died 1515)
- Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde (died 1614)
- Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormonde (died 1632)
- Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde (1703–1783)
- Walter Butler, Marquess of Ormonde (1770–1820) created Marquess of Ormonde (Ireland) in 1816
Sciences
edit- Amos Butler (1860–1937), American naturalist
- Anne Butler (engineer). Irish Engineer
- Arthur Gardiner Butler (1844–1925), English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist
- Arthur Lennox Butler (1873–1939), British naturalist
- Clifford Charles Butler, English physicist
- Edward Albert Butler (1845–1925), English entomologist
- Edward Arthur Butler (1843–1916), British ornithologist and army officer in India
- Harry Butler, Australian naturalist
- Hildred Mary Butler (1906–1975), Australian microbiologist
- John Alfred Valentine Butler, English electrochemist
- Laurie Butler (born 1955), American chemist, twin of Lynne
- Lynne Butler (born 1955), American mathematician, twin of Laurie
Sports
edit- Archie Butler, Australian rules footballer
- Billy Butler, American baseball player
- Caron Butler, American basketball player
- Charlie Butler-Henderson, British motor racing driver
- Da'Sean Butler (born 1988), American basketball player
- Deighton Butler (born 1974), West Indian cricketer
- Darien Butler (born 2000), American football player
- Darius Butler (born 1986), American football player
- Dennis Butler, football manager
- Duane Butler, American football player
- Eddie Butler (baseball), American baseball player
- Eddie Butler (rugby union), Welsh rugby union player and journalist
- Hakeem Butler (born 1996), American football player
- Ian Butler (cricketer) (born 1981), New Zealand cricketer
- Jimmy Butler, American basketball player
- Larry Butler (darts player), American darts player
- Lawrence Butler (baseball) (born 2000), American baseball player
- Lawrence Butler (basketball) (1957–2018), American basketball player
- LeRoy Butler, American football player
- Malcolm Butler (born 1990), American football player
- Malcolm Butler (Irish footballer) (1913–1987), Irish footballer
- Mario Butler (born 1957), Panamanian basketball player
- Mitchell Butler (b. 1970), American sports agent and former basketball player
- Percy Butler (born 2000), American football player
- Phil Butler, rugby league footballer of the 1970s, and 1980s
- Rasual Butler (1979–2018), American basketball player
- Rich Butler, Canadian baseball player
- Steve Butler, American racing driver
- Todd Butler, American college baseball coach
- Torrey Butler, American basketball player
- Vicki Butler-Henderson, British racing driver and TV presenter
- Wayde Butler, American football player
Other
edit- Alban Butler (1710–1773), English Catholic priest and author
- Anthea Butler (born 1950), American professor
- Christopher Butler (bishop) (1902–1986), English Catholic bishop
- Lady Eileen Gwladys Butler (1891–1943), later Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
- Elizabeth Beardsley Butler, American surveyor of social conditions
- Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918), English academic
- Kathleen M. Butler (1891–1972) Project manager for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
- Lee Pierce Butler, American academic and librarian
- Lucy Wood Butler (1820–1895), American temperance leader
- Matthew Butler, American Confederate general
- Montagu C. Butler, Esperantist, for whom the Montagu Butler Library is named
- Nicholas Murray Butler, American academic administrator and politician
- Norman 3X Butler, wrongfully convicted for the killing of Malcolm X
- Ovid Butler, American abolitionist for whom Butler University is named
- Smedley Butler, major-general, son of Thomas S. Butler
- Thaddeus J. Butler, American Catholic priest
- W. E. Butler, British occultist
Fictional entities with the surname Butler
edit- Faykan Butler, a character from the Dune universe
- Rhett Butler, a character from Gone with the Wind
- Serena Butler, a character from the Dune universe
- Stan Butler, a character from On the Buses
- Domovoi and Juliet Butler, characters from the Artemis Fowl series
- Maggie Butler, a character from John B. Keane's 1965 play The Field
References
edit- ^ a b c "Butler Name Meaning and History", The Butler Surname, Ancestry.com, archived from the original on 12 June 2011, retrieved 31 August 2011,
(origin of information) Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
- ^ a b Kimberly Powell (ed.), "Butler surname origin", About.com: Genealogy, About.com, archived from the original on 24 July 2011, retrieved 31 August 2011
- ^ "Beidler (Beitler, Beutler, Butler, Beudler, Beuthler, Beuttler, Bütler) family", Harold H Hartzler, Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, vol. 1, p. 266
See also
edit- Justice Butler (disambiguation)
- Senator Butler (disambiguation)
- Butler (disambiguation)
- Buttler, including a list of people with this name