Surname Buttwill - Meaning and Origin

Buttwill: What does the surname Buttwill mean?

The last name Buttwill is most likely a topographic name denoting someone who lived near a butt or large hill. This is a relatively rare last name from England, and is derived from the Olde English word 'bott', meaning hill, mound, or hillock, and the word 'will', meaning stream or spring.

The name could also be derived from the Olde English word 'bot', meaning creek, bay, or inlet, and the Dutch word 'wille' meaning stream or river.

Buttwill is a habitational name, meaning it refers to a place name - a house, a farm, or a place of residence. It could indicate that the family once lived by a stream of water near a hill or butt.

The Buttwill family first appears in the historical record in the 16th century, when the name first appears on tax rolls in Yorkshire, England. The earliest recorded spelling of the Buttwill name was in the Lancashire Subsidy Rolls in 1598, where a James Buttewylle of Redesdale, in Lancashire, was recorded. In later years, the name has also been spelled both Buttwell and Butwell.

Today, there are still people bearing the Buttwill name living in Lancashire and Yorkshire, England, as well as scattered throughout other countries in the world.

Buttwill: Where does the name Buttwill come from?

Today, the surname Buttwill is uncommon, and those who have the surname can trace their lineage back to an English origin. The earliest records of the Buttwill surname date back to the 17th century, wherein ten Buttwill households appear in the records of Worcester and Hereford, counties in England. A few centuries later, numerous Buttwill families are recorded in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire. The regions were among the most unproductive agricultural areas in England, so many of these families migrated to other parts of the world in search of better employment opportunities.

Currently, Buttwill is a rare surname in England. The number of people with the Buttwill surname ranges from a few to a few dozen in the United Kingdom. The Buttwill surname has spread to many other parts of the world. The largest population of the surname outside of the United Kingdom is found in the United States, where there are approximately two thousand individuals with the surname. Other countries with notable Buttwill populations include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

While the Buttwill surname is not common today, it is still a part of the fabric of many societies throughout the world. It has become a relic of the past, representing a time of displacement and opportunity, but also a time of mal-adaptation and resilience.

Variations of the surname Buttwill

The surname Buttwill has a variety of variant spellings and related surnames that all derive from the same source.

The most commonly seen alternative form of the surname Buttwill is Buttwell, which is an English version of the surname, derived from the phrase ‘bottom well’. This phrase became a surname when a family took it on as a symbol of their origin or residence near a well located at the bottom of a hill or slope.

Other variants of the surname Buttwill include: Battwell, Botwell, Botawell, Buttweill and Bottewill. These all relate back to the original ‘bottom well’ meaning, with slight changes to spelling.

Surnames related to the Buttwill surname include Boulwell, Bowell, Barrel, Berrill, Birtwell, Butterwill and Buttell. These are variations of the original and often arise when a family moves and changes the spelling of their surname in the process.

In conclusion, there are a variety of variants and related surnames to the surname Buttwill, encompassing a range of spelling changes to the original phrase of ‘bottom well’, from which the surname originated.

Famous people with the name Buttwill

• Darren Buttwill: English cricketer
• Asshou Buttwill: Nigerian-born British photographer
• Seth Buttwill: American actor
• Jeremy Buttwill: British diplomat
• Christopher Buttwill: American basketball player
• Joanne Buttwill: British author
• Paul Buttwill: British film producer
• Robert Buttwill: American writer
• David Buttwill: American film director
• John Buttwill: British actor

Other surnames

Buttwil