2000
#2,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,224
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.16
Uncommon Last name
Butterfield
An English locational surname derived from places named Butterfield, likely referring to a field with good pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,843 Americans carry the last name Butterfield. That puts it at #3,139 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butterfield 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 Butterfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,688
Census rank
#3,139
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,200 bearers of the surname Butterfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3139th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Butterfield
The surname Butterfield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'butere' meaning butter, and 'feld' meaning field. It likely originated as a locational name for someone who lived near a field where butter was made or traded.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Butterfield dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Buttresfeld in that county.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Butterfield, Butresfeld, and Botterfield, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The Poll Tax returns of 1379 list a Thomas Buttresfeld in Cambridgeshire.
The Butterfield name is closely associated with the village of Butterfield in Derbyshire, which likely derived its name from the same etymology. This connection suggests that some early bearers of the surname may have originated from or resided near this location.
Notable individuals with the surname Butterfield throughout history include:
1. Sir John Butterfield (c. 1580-1644), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.
2. William Butterfield (1814-1900), a renowned English Gothic Revival architect responsible for designing several churches and buildings across England.
3. Roger Butterfield (1897-1983), an American Olympian who won a gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.
4. Herbert Butterfield (1900-1979), a British historian and philosopher of history, best known for his work "The Whig Interpretation of History."
5. William Atkin Butterfield (1886-1958), a Canadian politician who served as the Premier of Manitoba from 1922 to 1928.
The surname Butterfield has a long and well-documented history in England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Its origin reflects the agricultural heritage of the English countryside and the importance of butter production in rural areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butterfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Butterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Butterfield 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 Butterfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 9,775
- Two or more races4.3% · 485
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 401
- Black or African American3.0% · 339
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 92
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butterfield
Butterfield 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
#3,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,468
+244 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.89
Rank movement Down 206 places
2020
#3,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,200
-268 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,946 | 11,224 | 4.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,152 | 11,468 | 3.89 | +244 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 206 places |
| 2020 | #3,139 | 11,200 | 3.75 | -268 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 13 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 Butterfield 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 | #3,152 | #3,139 | 0.4% |
| Count | 11,468 | 11,200 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.89 | 3.75 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butterfield bearers went from 11,468 to 11,200 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,152 to #3,139.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Butterfield
FAQ
Butterfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butterfield?
Name Census estimates that about 12,843 living Americans carry the surname Butterfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,688 residents.
How common is Butterfield?
Butterfield ranks #3,139 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,200 people with the surname Butterfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Butterfield.
Has Butterfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butterfield went from 11,468 recorded bearers to 11,200. That is a decrease of 268 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,152 to #3,139.
What does the Census say about the background of Butterfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Butterfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (9,775 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butterfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Butterfield (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 Butterfield mean?
An English locational surname derived from places named Butterfield, likely referring to a field with good pasture. 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 Butterfield (3.75 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 Butterfield?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.