A Fun and Fact-Filled Look at the Butler Surname
Butler Name Meaning
The Butler surname is an occupational name derived from the French word bouteillier, meaning one who supplies the bottles, specifically the wine. In many royal households, this person was often in charge of servants, the administrator of the estate, and had considerable power.
Butler Last Name Variations
Virtually all surnames have developed phonetic and spelling variations over many centuries in many countries. A person’s name was often spelled however it sounded to the person recording it.
This graphic shows 22 different variations of the name Butler. One of the more common variations in medieval times was le Botiller. A not-so-obvious variation is Pincerna, which is Latin for “cupbearer” or “Butler.”
Butler Surname Geography
Butler Family Crest and Coat of Arms
When you’re trying to identify your specific branch of a family tree, you can sometimes use elements of a coat of arms from your last known ancestor to help identify earlier ancestors. That’s because certain elements of a coat were often consistent along branches of a family. And, because every element has meaning, it can help us better understand our ancestors.
Fortunately for us, there are several really good sources for information on Butler coats of arms. In fact, there are close to 100 documented coats of arms in England and Ireland for members of the Butler family.
The coat of arms above belongs to James Butler (1610-1688), the first Duke of Ormonde. His arms contain many of the heraldic elements you’ll see throughout the Butler family tree. Based on what’s documented and generally accepted meanings of heraldry symbols, here’s what we know about it:
Butler Family Motto
The Butler family motto, “Comme Je Trouve,” is shown at the top. In French, it means “As I Find.” The motto is intended to encourage grit, striving through adversity, and taking life’s challenges head-on. Kilkenny College, which traces its origins to the Butlers of Ormond, has adopted this motto and has a coat of arms very similar to this one.
Butler Family Crest
The terms family crest and coat of arms are often used interchangeably, but the crest is just one element of a coat of arms.
This Butler family crest shows a falcon, representing a person of noble nature, strength, bravery, and alertness – one that doesn’t rest until an objective is achieved. The falcon is sitting on a plume of five ostrich feathers, which represent obedience and serenity.
Butler Coat of Arms
James Butler’s escutcheon, or shield, is divided into quarters.
The upper left quarter is a “chief indented.” The chief is the top one-third. It represents dominion and authority and was often given as a special reward for prudence and wisdom or successful command in war. The indented part refers to the pattern of the chief’s bottom line.
The upper right quarter shows three covered cups, which symbolize the hereditary office of the Chief Butler of Ireland. The top half of the shield, the chief indented and the covered cups, are the heraldic symbols you most often see on Butler coats of arms that you find online and in souvenir shops across Ireland.
The bottom left quarter shows a red lion with a silver swan and golden annulet, which is a fancy name for a finger ring. The lion is noble and heroic and symbolizes strength, courage, and generosity.
The bottom right quarter shows a saltier, or St Andrew’s cross, which symbolizes courage. The white background with a pattern of black shapes represents the fur of an ermine, which is a species of weasel with white fur and a black-tipped tail.
Butler Family War Cry
At the bottom, you see the family’s war cry – “Butler A Boo.” A Boo is Gaelic for Victory, so Butler A Boo means “Butler Victory!”
Butler Last Name Origin
Theobald Walter 1st Chief Butler of Ireland
So, there are lots of Butlers and they’re all over the globe. But, who was the very first person to use Butler as a surname? By most accounts, that honor belongs to a man named Theobald Walter (1165-1206). In genealogical and historical documents, you’ll often see him referenced as Theobald Fitzwalter (Fitz means “son of”) or Theobald le Boteler.
Theobald’s ancestors were from the Normandy region of France and accompanied William the Conqueror into England in the year 1066. When William became the first Norman King of England, one of these ancestors was granted lands in England for his loyalty and service to William.
We know that Theobald was born in Norfolk England in approximately 1165 to Hervey Walter and his wife Matilda De Vologines. Theobald’s father owned large estates in East Anglia (specifically Norfolk and Suffolk counties) and Lancashire.
Theobald’s Aunt Bertha was married to Ranulf de Glanville, the Chief Justiciar of England under King Henry II. In those days, the chief justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister and de Glanville was King Henry II’s right-hand man – his most trusted advisor.
It was de Glanville who raised Theobald and his brother Hubert and took them under his wing. As beneficiaries of their Uncle de Glanville’s influence, both Theobald and Hubert would quickly ascend to positions of prominence.
Hubert grew up to follow in de Glanville’s footsteps as Chief Justiciar and also became the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was an influential royal advisor to kings Henry II, Richard I, and John. Although Hubert lacked formal education, historians consider him one of the most outstanding government ministers in English history.
In April 1185, approximately 16 years after the successful Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, Theobald accompanied Prince John, who had been named Lord of Ireland by his father King Henry II, to Waterford with about 300 knights and many foot soldiers and archers.
John and his entourage were greeted by many native Irish leaders that had been prepared for his arrival. Being the young and immature prince that he was, John looked at the long beards of the Irish and laughed and pulled on them. The native Irish, in turn, thought John “an ill-mannered child from whom no good could be hoped.” Not exactly an auspicious start.
As he trekked through Ireland over the next several months, John’s contempt for the native Irish grew. He needed people in Ireland that were loyal to the crown and that he could trust to represent his interests when he went back to England later that year. His solution was to create key administrative positions. The senior and most important position was Chief Butler of Ireland (depending on your origin, the position may have been called Chief Botiler, Chief Bouteillier, or Pincerna).
John made the position hereditary and gave it to one of his closest confidants – Theobald Walter. Over time, Theobald and his heirs began to use Butler as their surname. So, it’s from the Office of Chief Butler of Ireland that many Butlers take their surname.
As Chief Butler, Theobald and his heirs were responsible for attending the Kings of England at their coronation and presenting them with their ceremonial first cup of wine. You have to remember that poisoning people was a popular way of advancing your career in those days, so the person responsible for presenting you with food and drink had to be someone you really trusted.
The Chief Butler job came with some pretty good perks. In the feudal system then in place, Theobald was granted lots of land including three substantial fiefs – Tullow in County Carlow; Arklow in County Wicklow; and Oskelan in County Gowran.
The Gowran grant was the smallest of the three and it contained approximately 44,000 strategic and arable acres – those are acres that can be plowed and used for growing crops. So, Theobald was literally dirt rich.
But, there was an even better perk. In order to support the dignity of the office, King Henry II granted Theobald the prisage of wines, which gave him and his heirs the right to a percentage of all the wine from every ship that docked at every port in Ireland.
The Butler family received two tons of wine from every ship containing 20 or more tons of wine and one ton of wine from every ship containing less than that. So, they got roughly 10% of all the wine coming into Ireland. It was this perk that really advanced the Butler family in Ireland and allowed them to acquire even more land, build and buy castles and defend their property from enemies.
In 1194, Theobald’s star continued to rise and he was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in northwest England, a position once held by his uncle, Ranulph de Glanville. The High Sheriff was the representative of the monarch in the county, and the “Keeper of The Queen’s Peace,” executing judgments of the High Court through an Under Sheriff. During this time, Theobald lived primarily in England but regularly traveled to Ireland.
Around the year 1200, Theobald married Maud le Vavasour. As you might imagine given his status and wealth, Theobald married well. Maud was the heiress of Robert le Vavasour, a baron of Yorkshire, and she brought properties in Yorkshire, Edlington, and Newborough in Leicestershire, to the marriage.
Theobald and Maud would go on to have three children; help settle and develop several towns including Thurles, Nenagh, Gowran, and Arklow; found several abbeys; and own vast estates in both Ireland and England. It was the start of a family dynasty that would last for the next 600 years.
After Theobald’s death in 1206, Maud married Fulk FitzWarine. Some historians believe that the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian was based on Fitzwarine and Maude.
Theobald le Botiller 2nd Chief Butler of Ireland
Theobald the 2nd Chief Butler of Ireland (1200-1230) was a young boy when his father died. His wardship was granted to Geoffrey de Marisco, who later became justiciar of Ireland.
Theobald’s career was closely linked to William Marshal II, who was Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, and Justiciar of Ireland. His service to Marshal resulted in several land grants in Leinster. He also increased the family’s presence through the acquisition of manors in Bray in County Wicklow (about 12 miles South of Dublin) and Gowran in County Kilkenny.
His first marriage was to Joan de Marisco, the daughter of his former guardian, Geoffrey de Marisco. They had a son before her death.
In 1225, Theobald was ready to marry again and he set his sights on a wealthy heiress named Roesia de Verdun. Apparently, Roesia wasn’t very smitten with Theobald. King Henry III had to intervene and personally request that she marry his “beloved Theobald le Botiller.” This must have been a request Roesia couldn’t refuse because they married a short time later.
In the year 1230, Theobald was summoned “with horses and arms” to attend King Henry III during the English invasion of France. Because the Butler family fortune was due to, and dependent on, its relationship with the crown, he dutifully answered the call but died in Poitou, France a short time afterward. He was about 30 years old.
Before his death, Theobald and Roesia had four children. Because his son with his first wife was his legal heir, the four younger children weren’t able to inherit his lands. They were, however, able to inherit Roesia’s lands. As a result, they adopted her surname of Verdun.
Theobald Butler 3rd Chief Butler of Ireland
Theobald the 3rd Chief Butler of Ireland (1224-1248) was also very young when his father died. His wardship was granted to King Henry III’s brother and one of the wealthiest men in Europe, Richard Earl of Cornwall.
Theobald spent most of his life in England and was best known for supporting King Henry III and his royalists against the Barons. But, his most important contribution to the Butler family came from his marriage to Margery, the daughter of Richard mor de Burgh, another Justiciar of Ireland.
The marriage created a close alliance between the two families and added property in Carrick-on-Suir and the area around Clonmel to vast amounts of other properties including manors in Ardmaile and Killmorakill.
Theobald died in 1248 at the young age of 24 and was buried next to his father in Arklow, County Wicklow Ireland. Fortunately for the Butler dynasty, he had four children before his death.
Theobald Butler 4th Chief Butler of Ireland
After a very complicated wardship involving King Henry III and several others, Theobald the 4th Chief Butler of Ireland (1242-1285), came into his inheritance in 1263.
In 1264, the Fitzgeralds, also known as the Geraldines, were at war with Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster. Theobald sided with De Burgh, who was both his cousin and brother-in-law. The Geraldines captured Theobald; Richard de la Rochelle, a Justiciar of Ireland; and several knights and held them as prisoners. They were released after mediation between the two sides, but it was part of a Butler-Fitzgerald feud that would last for hundreds of years.
Theobald would go on to fight the Barons on behalf of King Henry III at Evesham in Worcestershire England and frequently commuted back and forth between his estates in England and Ireland.
In 1282, he acquired land in Connacht from Phillip de la Rochelle, who was the son of Richard de la Rochelle, the man he had been captured with 18 years prior, in exchange for his lands in County Dublin. The Connacht land gave the Butlers a presence in Western Ireland.
Theobald married Joan FitzJohn, the daughter of John Fitzgeoffrey, who was a Justiciar of Ireland and, at one time, one of his childhood guardians. So the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Chief Butlers all had fathers-in-law that were Justiciars of Ireland.
With the marriage to Joan, Theobald acquired manors in Essex, Hants, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire. This gave the Butler family substantial land holdings in England as well as Ireland.
Theobald and Joan had 10 children, including Theobald the 5th Chief Butler; Edmund Butler, who was 6th Chief of Butler of Ireland and Earl of Carrick; and Thomas Butler, the 1st Baron Dunboyne.
Theobald Butler 5th Chief Butler of Ireland
Theobald the fifth Chief Butler of Ireland (1269-1299) started his public career in 1290 by paying a fine that allowed him to do homage before the then Justiciar of Ireland. In the middle ages, homage was when a feudal tenant pledged reverence and submission to his feudal lord in exchange for whatever new position he was to assume.
Following his homage, Theobald spent time in England surveying the properties he had inherited in Lancashire. He became indebted to his uncle during this time and had to forfeit one of his English manors to repay his loans.
Militarily, Theobald was active in campaigns against the Irish of Wicklow. In 1296, he was summoned to Scotland by Edward I, King of England, as part of the First War of Scottish Independence. It’s believed that he dined with Edward on the Pentecost of that year.
Theobald died unmarried and without an heir in his early 30s. The hereditary title Chief Butler of Ireland then passed to his younger brother, Edmund.
Edmund Butler 6th Chief Butler of Ireland
After his brother died, Edmund (c. 1270-1321) inherited the title Chief Butler of Ireland and became the patriarch of the family. He did homage to King Edward I at the Siege of Caerlaverock in Southern Scotland for all the lands that had been owned by his brother.
As a reward for his service in Scotland, he was granted permission to pay down his £3,000 debt to the King, which was an enormous sum at the time, in annual installments of only £30. This was essentially loan forgiveness because it would have taken him over 100 years to pay the loan back without interest.
By all accounts, Edmund was a highly accomplished man and significantly added to the family’s reputation and fortunes. He was knighted by King Edward II in 1309; was instrumental in defeating the O’Byrne and O’Toole clans in Glenmalure; was paid a large sum for killing the leader of an Irish raiding party in the Wicklow mountains; became Justiciar of Ireland with a fee of £500 pounds per year (a rather tidy sum for the time); he sat in the English parliament as a Baron (you can find him named in many history books as Edmond le Boteller); and, for distinguished services to the King against Edward Bruce in Ireland, he was granted a charter for “the castle and manors of Karryk Macgriffyn and Roscrea” to hold to him and his heirs.” This honor also came with the title Earl of Carrick, a title currently held by Prince Charles, but the title was not hereditary.
Edmund married Joan Fitzgerald, the daughter of John Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Kildare, in 1302. They had several children, including James Butler, who succeeded him as Chief Butler, but not as Earl of Carrick; and John Butler of Clonamicklon (or Limallon), who was the ancestor of a later creation of Viscount Ikerring and Earl of Carrick.
In 1321, Edmund died in London before he was able to complete a long-standing public vow to take a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This is where St James, an apostle of Jesus, is buried and was a popular pilgrimage at the time for prominent Anglo-Irish and Gaelic figures.
The church considered the vow to go to Spain so serious that a papal mandate had to be made to absolve Edmund, his wife, and their son James for not making the pilgrimage due to his involvement in the wars between the English and the Irish.
Royal Connections to the Butler Family
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was the great-granddaughter of Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl of Ormonde. Her grandmother was Thomas Butler’s daughter, Lady Margaret Butler, and her father was Thomas Boleyn.
Anne was a maid of honour to the wife of King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, when Henry became smitten with her. Desperately wanting a male heir which his wife of 24 years was unable to give him, Henry decided to annul his marriage to Catherine and marry the much younger Anne, who he hoped would produce his male heir. He formally married Anne in 1533.
Not long after Henry VIII married Anne, they had a daughter, Elizabeth. This was quite a disappointment because they had been told by the royal physicians and astrologers that they would have a son – the male heir that Henry wanted so badly.
After Anne miscarried another child, Henry began courting Jane Seymour. This was the beginning of the end for Anne. While she was recovering, Henry said that he was seduced into the marriage with Ann by deception or spells and moved Jane Seymour into royal quarters. But, in order to marry Seymour, Henry had to find an official reason to end his marriage to Anne. He decided “high treason” was as good a reason as any, and Anne was arrested and put in the Tower of London in May 1536. She was beheaded four days later.
Anne is considered one of the most influential and important queen consorts in history because she set in motion the events that led to the English church’s independence from the Vatican. But, Anne’s most important contribution was really her daughter, the most famous member of the Butler Family.
Anne’s sister Mary was a mistress of King Henry VIII.
Queen Elizabeth I
Following a game of musical thrones that saw Edward VI, (the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour); Lady Jane Grey (known as the 9 days queen); and Bloody Mary (the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) at the royal helm, Anne Boleyn’s daughter Elizabeth (1533-1603), the great-granddaughter of Thomas Butler 7th Earl of Ormonde, became Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland in November of 1558. She was 24 years old.
In 1584, Elizabeth set in motion a plan to establish England’s presence in North America. She gave Sir Walter Raleigh a royal charter that authorized him to explore, colonize and rule any “Remote, heathen and barbarous lands, countries and territories, not actually possessed of any Christian Prince or inhabited by Christian People” for a period of seven years.
Raleigh’s colonization attempts in the New World were ultimately unsuccessful, mainly due to a lack of supply ships, but he did succeed in claiming a large swath of territory for England that included present-day Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas. Collectively, that territory was named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth, whose nickname was the “Virgin Queen.”
Queen Elizabeth’s early colonization efforts eventually paved the way for the London Company to establish the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. So, Queen Elizabeth I, a Butler family member, played a prominent role in settling what would become America and even has a state named after her.
Butler Family in America
The Butler family has been an integral part of America since the 1500s. Some people with the Butler last name came seeking exile from religious and political persecution. Many came seeking a life of economic stability and prosperity. Others came merely seeking adventure. Whatever the reason, people with the surname Butler have made an indelible mark on the country.
These are a few of the Butlers that helped shape America for better or worse (click a link to read the full story):
Captain Nathaniel Butler – Nathaniel introduced the potato to America and chronicled the conditions he saw in Jamestown, Virginia.
The Fighting Butlers – Five brothers that fought in the Revolutionary War. The Marquis de Lafayette said, “When I wanted a thing done right, I had a Butler do it.”
Pierce Butler – On September 17, 1787, Pierce Butler, representing the state of South Carolina, became a founding father of America when he signed the United States Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of only 39 men to have that honor.
Butlers in the Civil War – An original Surname Arts research piece that analyzes the 7,024 Butlers that fought on both sides of the Civil War.
Richard Butler – The Statue of Liberty is recognized around the world as a symbol of America and freedom. We may never have heard of it without the efforts of Richard Butler.
Dr. John O. Butler: The Toothbrush King – He made the first toothbrush with two rows of bristles, the first toothbrush with a colored handle, and oral care products that revolutionized the dental profession.
Butler Family Stories
Frank Butler & Annie Oakley: Love and Guns – The professional and personal story of the world-renowned wild west variety show performers.
United States Counties Named After People with the Butler Surname – Eight counties have been named after people with the surname Butler.
Butler Surname in the United States Congress – Since the First Continental Congress in 1774, 26 people with the surname Butler have served in the United States Congress. Collectively, they have represented 18 states and served 113 terms. Six Butlers have represented the state of South Carolina.
Butler Surname in the Winter Olympics – Profiles of Butlers that have participated in the Winter Olympic Games.
Butler Surname: Musicians – Biographical sketches of prominent musicians with the Butler last name.
Edward Butler: Automotive Pioneer – Before automotive giants Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, and Henry Ford, there was Edward Butler.
Butler DNA Project
A Butler DNA Project is hosted by FamilyTreeDNA. The main goal of the project is to identify and unite the various branches of the Butler family tree through DNA test results.
The project is open to both men and women with the surname Butler or a variation of the Butler last name. DNA test results from other testing companies may be able to be imported. Currently, there are over 800 participants.
Recommended Butler Readings
- Burke, B. (1884). The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time. London: Harrison.
- Carte, T. (2009). The Life of James, Duke of Ormond.
- A Biography of Pierce Butler 1744-1822 < Biographies < American History From Revolution To Reconstruction and beyond. (n.d.).
- James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde and Earl of Wiltshire (1420-1461) [Wars of the Roses]. (n.d.).
