Surname Butvydas - Meaning and Origin
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Butvydas: What does the surname Butvydas mean?
The last name Butvydas is derived from the old Lithuanian word butas, meaning "dweller" or "heathen." Historically, the word was used to refer to those living outside of Christian-dominated areas, particularly those living in Lithuania before its conversion to Christianity in the 13th century.
The word buve (or butas, as it would be spoken by English-speakers) then came to mean "servant" or "tenant," and eventually came to be used as a family name. As such, the name Butvydas is thought to represent a person of Lithuanian or Slavic heritage who was a tenant or servant (or possibly a pagan) in the distant past.
The Butvydas family is believed to have first appeared in Lithuanian records in the 16th century, when a Butvydas family is mentioned in the popular 1559 book The Lithuanian Chronicle. Subsequent records in the 18th and 19th centuries allude to Butvydas family members living in rural Lithuania, and it is still a common surname there today, lying among the top 500 most popular surnames in the country.
In the current day, the Butvydas name carries a proud and honorable history that is tied to the birth of Lithuania and its monumental conversion to Christianity centuries ago. Those born with the name can trace their family history to a specific time and place in history, and can take pride in their heritage and ancestors who were resilient enough to carve out a successful life in the face of religious and cultural upheaval.
Order DNA origin analysisButvydas: Where does the name Butvydas come from?
Butvydas is a Lithuanian surname, indicating that the family originated in Lithuania. Today, Lithuanian surnames such as Butvydas are most commonly found in countries that had large Lithuanian diasporas, such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
In the US, Butvydeas is most commonly found in the Northeast, in states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. It’s also found in Michigan, Florida, and other parts of the Midwest. This may be due to an influx of Lithuanian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In Canada, Butvydas is more heavily represented in the provinces where significant numbers of Lithuanian immigrants settled. These provinces include Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba.
The UK is also home to a large Lithuanian diaspora, and as a result, Butvydas is distributed quite widely throughout the country. According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, the highest concentration of Butvydas are in the Greater London area, but there are also significant numbers of people with the surname in Yorkshire, Wales, and Scotland.
Overall, Butvydas is a common Lithuanian surname, and is most heavily represented in the countries and regions where people of Lithuanian descent have settled.
Variations of the surname Butvydas
The surname Butvydas is derived from the Lithuanian personal name Butvilas, which in turn is derived from the ancient Baltic element buttu meaning ‘to flatten’ or ‘prepare’ with the suffix vil meaning ‘desire or will’.
The most common variants of the surname Butvydas include Botvydas, Butvilas, Butvilaitis and Butvilevičius, as well as variants in other languages such as Bautvida, Botvidass and Butwyddes. It may also be spelt as Bautvydas, Butuvilas, Butulydas, Butvildas, Butvilde, Butvillas, Butvila and Butwilas.
Alternative surnames of the same origin include Bautvilas, Butvaida and Butvydaitis. Variants of Butvydas have been recorded in countries such as Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, as well as among ethnic Lithuanian diasporas in the wider European continent and overseas.
Butvydas and its variants have been used as surnames for multiple generations. However, the exact distribution of variants may vary among descendents of the same family. For example, some Lithuanian example surnames may be recorded in various spellings or even multiple spellings, depending on where the original family originated and where they relocated to over time.
Famous people with the name Butvydas
- Andy Butvydas: former professional ice hockey player
- Brigita Butvydas: Lithuanian Olympic basketball player
- Giedrius Butvydas: professional Lithuanian football player
- Česlovas Butvydas: Lithuanian football coach and player
- Jaunius Butvydas: Lithuanian100m sprinter
- Katrina Butvydas: Brazilian model, actress, and television presenter
- Vaidas Butvydas: Lithuanian motorcycle and speedboat racer
- Mantas Butvydas: Lithuanian basketball player
- Paulius Butvydas: Lithuanian middleweight boxer
- Aidas Butvydas: Lithuanian musician and record producer