At a glance
- In short
- Butler is a strong and classic English name meaning "wine steward" or "bottle bearer," with a sophisticated and distinguished air. A traditional yet unique choice for baby boys.
- U.S. rank 2025
- Not in the 2025 data · last seen 1996 (#7,971)
- Babies in 1996
- 6 (<0.01% of boys)
- Peak
- #512 in 1886
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Butler
Butler is a strong and classic name of English origin, meaning "wine steward" or "bottle bearer." It has a sophisticated and distinguished air, making it an excellent choice for parents looking for a traditional yet unique name for their baby boy. The name Butler has historical associations with domestic service, as the butler was traditionally the head servant in a wealthy household. Despite this association, the name Butler has maintained its timeless appeal and is increasingly being chosen by modern parents seeking a name with a sense of refinement. In Georgia, the name Butler has had sporadic occurrences over the years, indicating its rarity and exclusivity as a baby name choice.
How to pronounce Butler
English
- Pronounced BUHT-lur /ˈbʌt.lər/
Popularity of Butler in the U.S.
Butler was last recorded in the U.S. in 1996, ranked #7,971 with 6 babies. It peaked at #512 in 1886.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–1996 85 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 6 | 7,971 | back (not recorded in 1991–1995) |
| 1990 | 5 | 8,117 | back (not recorded in 1981–1989) |
| 1980 | 10 | 3,838 | back (not recorded in 1977–1979) |
| 1976 | 5 | 5,587 | back (not recorded in 1972–1975) |
| 1971 | 5 | 4,907 | ▼ 183 |
| 1970 | 5 | 4,724 | back (not recorded in 1968–1969) |
| 1967 | 5 | 3,966 | back (not recorded in 1965–1966) |
| 1964 | 8 | 3,050 | back (not recorded in 1963) |
| 1962 | 7 | 3,305 | ▲ 51 |
| 1961 | 7 | 3,356 | ▼ 279 |
| 1960 | 8 | 3,077 | ▲ 213 |
| 1959 | 7 | 3,290 | ▼ 15 |
| 1958 | 7 | 3,275 | back (not recorded in 1957) |
| 1956 | 9 | 2,798 | ▼ 34 |
| 1955 | 9 | 2,764 | ▲ 178 |
| 1954 | 8 | 2,942 | ▲ 856 |
| 1953 | 5 | 3,798 | ▼ 425 |
| 1952 | 6 | 3,373 | ▼ 711 |
| 1951 | 9 | 2,662 | ▲ 1,019 |
| 1950 | 5 | 3,681 | ▼ 1,740 |
| 1949 | 15 | 1,941 | ▲ 86 |
| 1948 | 14 | 2,027 | ▲ 329 |
| 1947 | 11 | 2,356 | ▲ 47 |
| 1946 | 10 | 2,403 | ▼ 631 |
| 1945 | 15 | 1,772 | ▲ 1,090 |
| 1944 | 7 | 2,862 | ▼ 1,376 |
| 1943 | 22 | 1,486 | ▲ 900 |
| 1942 | 10 | 2,386 | ▼ 53 |
| 1941 | 10 | 2,333 | ▼ 350 |
| 1940 | 13 | 1,983 | ▲ 1,130 |
| 1939 | 6 | 3,113 | ▼ 1,716 |
| 1938 | 23 | 1,397 | ▲ 516 |
| 1937 | 14 | 1,913 | ▼ 190 |
| 1936 | 16 | 1,723 | ▲ 523 |
| 1935 | 11 | 2,246 | ▲ 147 |
| 1934 | 10 | 2,393 | ▼ 25 |
| 1933 | 10 | 2,368 | ▲ 97 |
| 1932 | 10 | 2,465 | ▲ 186 |
| 1931 | 9 | 2,651 | ▼ 358 |
| 1930 | 12 | 2,293 | ▼ 621 |
| 1929 | 20 | 1,672 | ▲ 230 |
| 1928 | 17 | 1,902 | ▲ 291 |
| 1927 | 14 | 2,193 | ▼ 282 |
| 1926 | 17 | 1,911 | ▲ 1,025 |
| 1925 | 9 | 2,936 | ▼ 1,308 |
| 1924 | 23 | 1,628 | ▲ 68 |
| 1923 | 21 | 1,696 | ▲ 256 |
| 1922 | 17 | 1,952 | ▼ 304 |
| 1921 | 22 | 1,648 | ▼ 105 |
| 1920 | 24 | 1,543 | ▼ 279 |
| 1919 | 31 | 1,264 | ▲ 384 |
| 1918 | 21 | 1,648 | ▼ 169 |
| 1917 | 23 | 1,479 | ▼ 64 |
| 1916 | 24 | 1,415 | ▼ 73 |
| 1915 | 25 | 1,342 | ▼ 82 |
| 1914 | 22 | 1,260 | ▼ 114 |
| 1913 | 20 | 1,146 | ▲ 77 |
| 1912 | 15 | 1,223 | ▼ 106 |
| 1911 | 10 | 1,117 | ▲ 76 |
| 1910 | 8 | 1,193 | ▼ 110 |
| 1909 | 8 | 1,083 | ▼ 62 |
| 1908 | 8 | 1,021 | ▲ 179 |
| 1907 | 6 | 1,200 | ▼ 196 |
| 1906 | 7 | 1,004 | back (not recorded in 1904–1905) |
| 1903 | 7 | 910 | ▲ 103 |
| 1902 | 6 | 1,013 | back (not recorded in 1901) |
| 1900 | 12 | 743 | ▼ 160 |
| 1899 | 12 | 583 | back (not recorded in 1898) |
| 1897 | 7 | 852 | ▼ 178 |
| 1896 | 11 | 674 | ▲ 64 |
| 1895 | 9 | 738 | ▼ 8 |
| 1894 | 9 | 730 | ▼ 80 |
| 1893 | 10 | 650 | ▼ 78 |
| 1892 | 13 | 572 | ▲ 391 |
| 1891 | 5 | 963 | ▼ 360 |
| 1890 | 11 | 603 | ▼ 54 |
| 1889 | 12 | 549 | ▲ 368 |
| 1888 | 6 | 917 | ▼ 286 |
| 1887 | 9 | 631 | ▼ 119 |
| 1886 | 13 | 512 | ▲ 35 |
| 1885 | 12 | 547 | ▲ 424 |
| 1884 | 5 | 971 | ▼ 251 |
| 1883 | 7 | 720 | ▼ 180 |
| 1882 | 12 | 540 | back (not recorded in 1881) |
| 1880 | 8 | 682 | – |
Notable people named Butler
- Butler W. Lampson is an American computer scientist who won the 1992 Turing Award for his contributions to distributed personal computing.