2000
#104,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Buta
A surname potentially derived from the word "buta" meaning "cow" in several languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 303 Americans carry the last name Buta. That puts it at #78,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,131,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buta surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Buta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
303
1 in 1,131,202
Census rank
#78,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
264
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 264 bearers of the surname Buta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buta, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buta
The surname BUTA is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is thought to derive from the Slavic word "buta," which translates to "boot" or "footwear." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade related to bootmaking or cobbling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BUTA surname can be found in the Akty Grodzkie, a collection of legal documents from the 16th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In these records, a certain Jan Buta is mentioned as a resident of the town of Lviv (now in Ukraine) in the year 1582.
In the 17th century, the BUTA name appears in various parish registers and census records across the Polish-Lithuanian territories. For example, a Marcin Buta is listed as a landowner in the village of Wieliczka near Krakow in 1623.
As the name spread across Eastern Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Buta, Butah, and Butas. These variations can be found in historical documents from different regions, reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences.
One notable historical figure bearing the BUTA surname was Andrzej Buta (1673-1736), a Polish military officer who served during the Great Northern War against Sweden. He achieved the rank of Colonel and was recognized for his bravery in several battles.
Another individual of note was Franciszek Buta (1809-1877), a Polish painter and art teacher who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His works were exhibited in several galleries across Europe during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the BUTA name also appears in records from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Bukovina (now parts of Ukraine and Romania). One example is Iwan Buta (1825-1891), a Ukrainian writer and poet who published several collections of folk tales and verses.
Moving into the 20th century, a prominent figure was Konstanty Buta (1901-1976), a Polish architect and urban planner. He was involved in the reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in Warsaw after World War II and designed several notable buildings in the city.
Another notable BUTA was Oleksandr Buta (1920-2005), a Ukrainian artist and sculptor. His works, often inspired by traditional Ukrainian folk art, can be found in museums and public spaces throughout Ukraine.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buta
Among Census respondents with the surname Buta, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Buta bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Buta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.9% · 166
- Black or African American28.8% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 6
- Two or more races1.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buta
Buta appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#87,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 212
+54 bearers (+34.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 17,156 places
2020
#78,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 264
+52 bearers (+24.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 9,518 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,819 | 158 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #87,663 | 212 | 0.07 | +54 bearers (+34.2%) | Up 17,156 places |
| 2020 | #78,145 | 264 | 0.09 | +52 bearers (+24.5%) | Up 9,518 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Buta surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #87,663 | #78,145 | 10.9% |
| Count | 212 | 264 | 24.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 26.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buta bearers went from 212 to 264 (+24.5% change). The surname moved up 9,518 positions in the national ranking, going from #87,663 to #78,145.
FAQ
Buta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buta?
Name Census estimates that about 303 living Americans carry the surname Buta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,131,202 residents.
How common is Buta?
Buta ranks #78,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 264 people with the surname Buta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Buta.
Has Buta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buta went from 212 recorded bearers to 264. That is an increase of 52 (+24.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #87,663 to #78,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Buta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buta, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Buta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.9% (166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.9%), Black (28.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Buta (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Buta mean?
A surname potentially derived from the word "buta" meaning "cow" in several languages. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Buta (0.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Buta?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.