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Butterfield Family History

Butterfield Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Butterfield (Yorkshire) or from any of several other minor places with the same name.

The name is derived from Old English butere ‘butter’ + feld ‘field’ or ‘open country’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Butterfield family from?

You can see how Butterfield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Butterfield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Butterfield families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,258 Butterfield families living in Yorkshire. This was about 54% of all the recorded Butterfield's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Butterfield families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Butterfield surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Butterfield ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Butterfield. 7% of Butterfield men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Butterfield women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Butterfield were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Butterfield | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Joiner
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Butterfield family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 166,000 census records available for the last name Butterfield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Butterfield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Butterfield

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Butterfield. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Butterfield immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Butterfield. For the veterans among your Butterfield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Butterfield military records

You've only scratched the surface of Butterfield family history

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What is the average Butterfield lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Butterfield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Butterfield in 1945 was 39, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Butterfield

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Butterfield ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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