NameCensus.

UK surname

Butterfield

An English locational surname derived from places named Butterfield, likely referring to a field with good pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 3,984 people recorded with the Butterfield surname, ranking it #1,138 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,105, ranked #1,652, down from #1,138 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bingley and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Bradford and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Butterfield is 5,187 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.0%.

1881 census count

3,984

Ranked #1,138

Modern count

4,105

2016, ranked #1,652

Peak year

1911

5,187 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Butterfield had 3,984 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,138 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,105 in 2016, ranked #1,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,187 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Butterfield surname distribution map

The map shows where the Butterfield surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Butterfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Butterfield over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,586 #1,141
1861 historical 2,628 #1,119
1881 historical 3,984 #1,138
1891 historical 4,221 #1,135
1901 historical 4,957 #1,138
1911 historical 5,187 #1,008
1997 modern 4,354 #1,501
1998 modern 4,396 #1,533
1999 modern 4,456 #1,529
2000 modern 4,401 #1,536
2001 modern 4,323 #1,530
2002 modern 4,395 #1,538
2003 modern 4,274 #1,545
2004 modern 4,319 #1,530
2005 modern 4,214 #1,545
2006 modern 4,200 #1,554
2007 modern 4,203 #1,565
2008 modern 4,208 #1,574
2009 modern 4,296 #1,583
2010 modern 4,366 #1,592
2011 modern 4,283 #1,601
2012 modern 4,172 #1,608
2013 modern 4,199 #1,626
2014 modern 4,214 #1,632
2015 modern 4,145 #1,646
2016 modern 4,105 #1,652

Geography

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Where Butterfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bingley, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Bradford and Leeds. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 008 Craven
2 Bradford 009 Bradford
3 Bradford 023 Bradford
4 Leeds 072 Leeds
5 Leeds 075 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Butterfield

These lists show first names that appear often with the Butterfield surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Butterfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Butterfield, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Butterfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Butterfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Butterfield is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Butterfield is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Butterfield falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Butterfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Butterfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Butterfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Butterfield surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 2,185 Butterfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.65x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,185 5.65x
Middlesex 389 1.00x
Lancashire 362 0.78x
Hertfordshire 175 6.50x
Durham 166 1.43x
Surrey 138 0.73x
Essex 66 0.86x
Bedfordshire 60 2.97x
Lincolnshire 45 0.72x
Norfolk 39 0.65x
Kent 38 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 34 1.44x
Nottinghamshire 32 0.61x
Northamptonshire 30 0.82x
Northumberland 23 0.40x
Oxfordshire 21 0.87x
Derbyshire 18 0.29x
Staffordshire 17 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 16 0.65x
Isle of Man 15 2.07x
Glamorgan 13 0.19x
Cumberland 10 0.30x
Sussex 10 0.15x
Monmouthshire 9 0.32x
Suffolk 9 0.19x
Warwickshire 9 0.09x
Berkshire 8 0.27x
Hampshire 8 0.10x
Westmorland 8 0.93x
Cheshire 7 0.08x
Lanarkshire 6 0.05x
Shropshire 6 0.18x
Fife 4 0.17x
Leicestershire 4 0.09x
Dorset 3 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.39x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.24x
Gloucestershire 2 0.03x
Wiltshire 2 0.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.04x
Banffshire 1 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Channel Islands 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Devon 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.22x
Somerset 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 240 Butterfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.20x.

Place Total Index
Keighley 240 58.20x
Leeds 151 6.91x
Bingley 136 55.20x
Horton In Bradford 128 21.19x
Thornton In Bradford 81 62.90x
Shipley 79 39.35x
Idle 74 41.25x
Islington London 69 1.82x
Bradford 66 7.05x
Hunslet 55 9.12x
Hitchin 41 33.76x
St Marylebone London 38 1.82x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 37 26.77x
Soothill 36 25.76x
Wilsden 34 85.58x
Manningham 33 6.92x
Haworth 32 34.80x
Great Grimsby 30 7.57x
Cleckheaton 28 19.65x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 28 15.58x
Hackney London 27 1.23x
Rothwell 27 34.55x
Withnell 26 91.48x
Lambeth 25 0.73x
Doncaster 24 8.49x
Middlesbrough 24 4.76x
Byker 23 8.01x
Enfield 23 8.98x
Droylsden 22 14.56x
Bowling 21 5.48x
Clayton 21 22.18x
Luton 21 6.00x
Middleton In Hunslet 21 386.03x
Barrowford Booth 20 39.02x
Camberwell 20 0.80x
Bermondsey 19 1.63x
Caddington 19 64.19x
Halifax 19 3.35x
Mirfield 19 8.95x
North Bedburn 19 58.53x
Glusburn 18 82.38x
Hutton Henry 18 73.62x
Beeston 17 43.44x
Burley In Wharfdale 17 49.77x
Holbeck 17 6.63x
Kensington London 17 0.78x
St Pancras London 17 0.54x
Wakefield 17 5.72x
Blackburn 16 1.30x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.56x
Dewsbury 16 4.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 2.04x
Tong 16 21.41x
Ardeley 15 226.93x
Brightside Bierlow 15 1.98x
Burnley 15 3.85x
Castleford 15 10.65x
Gateshead 15 1.73x
Glass Houghton 15 106.91x
Hammersmith London 15 1.56x
Heap 15 6.11x
Hunsworth 15 73.89x
West Broughton 15 95.85x
Armley 14 8.21x
Baildon 14 19.22x
Crook Billy Row 14 9.41x
Methley 14 25.70x
Morley 14 6.96x
Northowram 14 5.16x
Onchan 14 6.70x
Burgh 13 443.69x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 1.65x
Ecclesfield 13 4.58x
Everton 13 0.88x
Oldham 13 0.87x
Paddington London 13 0.91x
Sykehouse 13 238.53x
Welwyn 13 55.77x
West Derby 13 0.96x
Midgley 12 29.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Butterfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 285
Sarah 195
Elizabeth 144
Ann 99
Annie 76
Jane 64
Emma 63
Martha 62
Hannah 60
Alice 58
Margaret 45
Eliza 42
Harriet 39
Ellen 37
Emily 36
Maria 31
Ada 27
Clara 25
Fanny 25
Florence 25
Edith 21
Amelia 19
Louisa 17
Caroline 16
Anne 14
Susannah 14
Charlotte 13
Kate 13
Minnie 13
Rebecca 13
Isabella 12
Agnes 11
Amy 11
Betty 10
Eleanor 10
Lucy 10
Rose 10
Sophia 10
Harriett 9
Ruth 9
Frances 8
Lilly 8
Nancy 8
Selina 8
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Susan 7
Dorothy 6
Ethel 6
Grace 6

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Butterfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 253
William 214
Thomas 117
James 115
George 107
Joseph 89
Henry 64
Charles 63
Alfred 41
Arthur 40
Frederick 35
Edward 33
Fred 29
Walter 28
Richard 26
Samuel 26
Robert 25
Frank 24
Albert 22
Herbert 22
Isaac 21
Edwin 20
Benjamin 18
David 18
Harry 18
Tom 17
Abraham 14
Francis 14
Jonas 14
Ernest 13
Wm. 13
Sam 12
Jesse 11
Chas. 8
Thos. 8
Geo. 7
Joe 7
Joshua 7
Daniel 6
Luke 6
Mark 6
Percy 6
Peter 6
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Hartley 5
Jas. 5
Ralph 5
Robinson 4
Smith 4

FAQ

Butterfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Butterfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,984 people were recorded with the Butterfield surname. That placed it at #1,138 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Butterfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,105 in 2016. That gives Butterfield a modern rank of #1,652.

What does the Butterfield surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places named Butterfield, likely referring to a field with good pasture.

What does the Butterfield map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Butterfield bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.