Butler (surname)
Butler is a surname that has been associated with many different places and people. It can be either:
- 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[2]
- a German surname, originating in Prussia before the 11th century, that gained notoriety in the High Middle Ages.
- an Anglicisation of the French surname Boutilier, Bouthillier,[1][2] a cognate of the English name.
The surname “Butler” was originated in the 12th century by Theobald le Botiller FitzWalter (Lord of Preston). Lord FitzWalter accompanied King John to Ireland to help secure Norman areas. When men whom Walter led killed Dermot MacCarthy, prince of Desmond, Walter was granted land holdings of Baggotrath, County Dublin, and the Stein River lands around what is now Trinity College Dublin. He was also given an important fief, on which Walter both founded an abbey and established his Irish seat. Upon returning to England, King John endowed Walter with the hereditary office "Butler to the Lord of Ireland" in 1177; some evidence indicates that he was also dubbed "Butler of Ireland". As such, he had the right to pour the King's wine. This title can be defined as Governor by today's standards. His son, Theobalde Butler, was the first to hold the name and pass it to his descendants. Walter's grandson was James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormonde.[3] Kilkenny Castle was the main seat of the Butler family.
Notable people with the surname Butler
Disambiguation of common given names with this surname
- Andrew Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Arthur Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Benjamin Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Bill Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Brett Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Charles Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Chris Butler (disambiguation), various people
- David Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Daniel Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Edward Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Eleanor Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Frank Butler (disambiguation), various people
- George Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Guy Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Jack Butler (disambiguation), various people
- James Butler (disambiguation), includes Jim Butler and Jimmy Butler
- Jerry Butler (disambiguation), various people
- John Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Joseph Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Kevin Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Michael Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Paul Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Pierce Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Richard Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Robert Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Samuel Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Thomas Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Tom Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Tony Butler (disambiguation), various people
- Walter Butler (disambiguation), various people
- William Butler (disambiguation), various people
Arts and letters
- Amir Butler, British-Australian writer on Islam
- Austin Butler, actor on "Zoey 101" and "iCarly"
- Bernard Butler, English musician, of McAlmont and Butler
- Blair Butler, American comedy writer/comedian
- Bryon Butler, English sports writer and broadcaster
- Chad Butler, drummer
- Cher Butler, American model and actor
- Dan Butler, American actor
- Daws Butler, American voice actor
- Dean Butler (actor), Canadian/American actor
- Dori Hillestad Butler, author of The Truth about Truman School and other children's books
- Ellis Parker Butler, American writer
- Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, English artist
- Francis Butler, American writer and dog-trainer
- Geezer Butler, English musician, bass guitar player in Black Sabbath
- Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
- Gwendoline Butler (1922–2013), English writer
- Henry Butler, American jazz pianist
- Hubert Butler, Irish essayist
- Hugo Butler, Canadian screenwriter
- Jonathan Butler, South African singer-songwriter
- Judith Butler, American feminist philosopher and queer theorist
- Larry Butler (producer), American country music producer
- Marcus Butler, British vlogger
- Mildred Anne Butler (1858–1941), Irish artist
- Octavia E. Butler, American science fiction writer
- Ralph Butler, British lyricist
- Reg Butler, English sculptor
- 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, government
- Christine Butler, British politician
- Dawn Butler, British politician
- Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, English judge
- Homer M. Butler, American politician
- Josephine Butler, English activist of the Victorian era
- Louis B. Butler, American judge
- Manley Caldwell Butler (born 1925), U.S. Representative from Virginia
- Marion Butler, American politician
- Sir Milo Butler, governor-general of the Bahamas
- Robin Butler, British civil servant
- Tubal Uriah Butler, Grenadian labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago
- Walker Butler, American jurist and politician
Sciences
- Clifford Charles Butler, English physicist
- Harry Butler, Australian naturalist
- Hildred Mary Butler (1906–1975), Australian microbiologist
- John Alfred Valentine Butler, English electrochemist
- Arthur Gardiner Butler (1844-1925), English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist
Sports
- 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
- Dennis Butler, football manager
- Duane Butler, American football player
- Eddie Butler (baseball), American baseball player
- Ian Butler (cricketer) (born 1981), New Zealand cricketer
- Larry Butler (darts player), American darts player
- LeRoy Butler, American football player
- Malcolm Butler (American football) (born 1990), American football player
- Malcolm Butler (footballer) (1913–1987), Irish footballer
- Mario Butler, Panamanian basketball player
- Mitchell Butler (b. 1970), American sports agent and former basketball player
- Rasual Butler, 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, English racing driver
- Wayde Butler, American football player
- Jimmy Butler (basketball), American basketball player
Other
- Alban Butler, English Catholic priest and author
- Christopher Butler, English Catholic bishop
- Lady Eileen Gwladys Butler, later Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
- Elizabeth Beardsley Butler, American surveyor of social conditions
- Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918), English academic
- LaVerne Butler (1926–2010), Kentucky clergyman and college president
- Lee Pierce Butler, American academic and librarian
- Matthew Butler, American Confederate general
- Montagu C. Butler, Esperantist, for whom the Montagu Butler Library is named
- Nicholas M. Butler, American academic administrator and politician
- Norman 3X Butler, 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
- W. E. Butler, British occultist
Fictional
- Faykan Butler, fictional character from the Dune universe
- Rhett Butler, fictional character from Gone with the Wind
- Serena Butler, fictional character from the Dune universe
- Stan Butler, fictional character from On The Buses
Foundation of the Butler Dynasty
- Theobald Butler, 1st Baron Butler, first Chief Butler of Ireland, father of Theobald le Botiller
- Theobald Butler, 2nd Baron Butler, otherwise known as Theobald le Botiller
As family name of the Earls of Ormonde
- 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)
- John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormonde (died 1478)
- Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde (died 1515)
- Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde (died 1539)(also 1st Earl of Ossory)
- James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormonde (died 1546)
- Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde (died 1614)
- Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormonde (died 1632)
- James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and 12th Earl of Ormonde (1610–1688) created Duke in 1661
- James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde and 13th Earl of Ormonde (1665–1745)
- Charles Butler, 3rd Duke of Ormonde and 14th Earl of Ormonde (died 1758)
- John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde (died 1766)
- Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde (1703–1783)
- John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde (1740–1795)
- Walter Butler, 18th Earl of Ormonde (1770–1820) created Marquess of Ormonde (Ireland) in 1816
- James Wandesford Butler, 19th Earl of Ormonde (1777–1838) created Marquess of Ormonde (UK) in 1825)
- John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde and 20th Earl of Ormonde (1808–1854)
- James Edward William Theobald Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde and 21st Earl of Ormonde (1844–1919)
- James Arthur Wellington Foley Butler, 4th Marquess of Ormonde and 22nd Earl of Ormonde (1849–1943)
- James George Anson Butler, 5th Marquess of Ormonde and 23rd Earl of Ormonde (1890–1949)
- James Arthur Norman Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde and 24th Earl of Ormonde (1893–1971)
- James Hubert Theobald Charles Butler, 7th Marquess of Ormonde and 25th Earl of Ormonde (1899–1997) (his presumed successors in the Earldoms of Ormonde and Ossory have been the 17th and 18th Viscount Mountgarret, descending in the male line from a younger son of the 8th Earl, but the claim has not been proven)
As family name of Viscounts Mountgarret
- Richard Butler, 1st Viscount Mountgarret (1500–1571)
- Edmund Butler, 2nd Viscount Mountgarret (died 1602)
- Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret (1578–1651)
- Edmund Butler, 4th Viscount Mountgarret (1595–1679)
- Richard Butler, 5th Viscount Mountgarret (died 1706)
- Edmund Butler, 6th Viscount Mountgarret (1663–1735)
- Richard Butler, 7th Viscount Mountgarret (1685–1736)
- James Butler, 8th Viscount Mountgarret (1686–1749)
- Edmund Butler, 9th Viscount Mountgarret (1687–1751)
- Edmund Butler, 10th Viscount Mountgarret (died 1779)
- Edmund Butler, 11th Viscount Mountgarret (1745–1793)
- Edmund Butler, 1st Earl of Kilkenny, 12th Viscount Mountgarret (1771–1846)
- Henry Edmund Butler, 13th Viscount Mountgarret (1816–1900)
- Henry Edmund Butler, 14th Viscount Mountgarret (1844–1912)
- Edmund Somerset Butler, 15th Viscount Mountgarret (1875–1918)
- Piers Henry Augustine Butler, 16th Viscount Mountgarret (1903–1966)
- Richard Henry Piers Butler, 17th Viscount Mountgarret (1936–2004)
- Piers James Richard Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret (born 1961)
References
- 1 2 3 "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
- 1 2 Kimberly Powell (ed.), "Butler surname origin", About.com: Genealogy, About.com, archived from the original on 24 July 2011, retrieved 31 August 2011
- ↑ "Butler", Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911 edition. Available online. Also see The Carey Estate BCM/H [n.d.], Berkeley Castle Muniments, U.K. National Archives, available online. Archived by WebCite.; National Archive Record MS 613, f. 21; National Archive Record MS 613, f. 30.
See also
- Butler (disambiguation)
- Lambert & Butler, cigarette brand
- Butler Act
- Butler Party
- Butler Review