# Butler (surname)

Butler is a surname that has been associated with many different places and people. It can be either:
* an Anglicisation of the French surname Boutilier, Bouthillier, a cognate of the English name.
* an English occupational name that originally denoted a servant in charge of the wine cellar, from the Norman French word butuiller. It eventually came to be used to describe a servant of high responsibility in a noble household, mostly leaving behind its association with the supply of wine.
* in Ireland, a noble family and dynasty associated with the counties of Tipperary, Kilkenny and parts of County Carlow.
* an Anglicisation of German or Swiss-German surnames including Beutler, Bütler, Beidler.

## Notable people with the surname Butler
### Disambiguation of common given names with this surname

* Adam Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Andrew Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Anthony Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Arthur Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Benjamin Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Bill Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Brett Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Charles Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Chris Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* David Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Daniel Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Edward Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Eleanor Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Frank Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* George Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Guy Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jack Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* James Butler (disambiguation), includes Jim Butler and Jimmy Butler
* Jason Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jerry Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* John Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Joseph Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Josh Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Kevin Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Matthew Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Michael Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Paul Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Percy Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Pierce Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Richard Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Robert Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Samuel Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Sarah Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Thomas Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Tom Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Tony Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* Walter Butler (disambiguation), multiple people
* William Butler (disambiguation), multiple people

### Arts and letters

* Archie Butler (actor) (1911–1977), American actor, crewman, and stuntman
* Artt Butler (born 1969), American voice actor
* Austin Butler (born 1991), American actor
* Bernard Butler (born 1970), English musician, of McAlmont and Butler
* Bisa Butler (born 1973), American quilt artist
* Blair Butler (born 1977), American comedy writer/comedian
* Brian Patrick Butler, American actor and filmmaker
* Bryon Butler (1934–2001), English sports writer and broadcaster
* Champ Butler (1926–1992), American popular music singer
* Charlotte Butler, 17th-century English actress
* Cher Butler, American model and actor
* Clementina Butler (1862–1949), American evangelist and author
* Dan Butler, American actor
* Daws Butler, American voice actor
* Dean Butler (actor), Canadian/American actor
* Dori Hillestad Butler, American author of children's books
* Ellis Parker Butler, American writer
* Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, English artist
* Francis Butler (dog trainer), American writer and dog-trainer
* Geezer Butler, English musician, bass guitar player in Black Sabbath
* Gerald Butler (writer) (1907–1988), English writer and screenwriter
* Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
* Grace Butler, New Zealand artist
* Gwendoline Butler (1922–2013), English writer
* Henry Butler, American jazz pianist
* Hubert Butler, Irish essayist
* Hugo Butler, Canadian screenwriter
* Jazz Ishmael Butler, American rapper and singer known professionally as Lil Tracy
* Jonathan Butler, South African singer-songwriter
* Judith Butler, American feminist philosopher and queer theorist
* Larry Butler (producer), American country music producer
* Linda Butler, American photographer
* Marcus Butler, British vlogger
* Matt Butler, American singer-songwriter
* Mildred Anne Butler (1858–1941), Irish artist
* Nickolas Butler, American writer
* Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006), American science fiction writer
* Rachel Barton Butler (died 1920), American writer, lyricist and playwright
* Ralph Butler, British lyricist
* Reg Butler, English sculptor
* Rhett Ayers Butler, American environmental journalist
* Ross Butler (actor) (born 1990), American actor
* Shay Butler, YouTube personality and vlogger
* Terry Butler, American musician
* Wanda Nero Butler (born 1958), American gospel musician
* Win Butler, American musician
* Yancy Butler, American actor

### Politics, law

* Christine Butler (1943–2017), British politician
* Colvin G. Butler (1872–1961), American politician
* David Butler (politician) (1829–1891), first Governor of Nebraska
* Dawn Butler (born 1969), British politician
* Eleanor Butler Sanders (1849–1905), American suffragist, civil rights activist
* Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, English judge
* Frederick Butler (1873–1961), British civil servant
* Gordon H. Butler (1889–1964), American civil engineer and politician
* Homer M. Butler, American politician
* Josephine Butler, English activist of the Victorian era
* Laphonza Butler (born c. 1979), American politician
* Louis B. Butler, American judge
* Manley Caldwell Butler (1925–2014), U.S. Representative from Virginia
* Marion Butler, American politician
* Marty Butler, American politician
* Milo Butler, governor-general of the Bahamas
* Petra Butler, New Zealand legal academic
* Robin Butler, British civil servant
* Tubal Uriah Butler, Grenadian labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago
* Turner Butler (1869–1938), justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court
* Walker Butler, American jurist and politician

### Nobility

* Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran (died 1758)
* Edmund Butler, 2nd Viscount Mountgarret (died 1602)
* Edmund Butler, 4th Viscount Mountgarret (1595–1679)
* Edmund Butler, 10th Viscount Mountgarret (died 1779)
* Edmund Butler, 11th Viscount Mountgarret (1745–1793)
* Edmund Butler, 15th Viscount Mountgarret (1875–1918)
* Edmund Butler, 1st Earl of Kilkenny (1771–1846)
* Henry Butler, 13th Viscount Mountgarret (1816–1900)
* Henry Butler, 14th Viscount Mountgarret (1844–1912)
* James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormonde (c. 1305 – 1337)
* James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormonde (died 1382)
* James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde (died 1405)
* James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde (died 1452)
* James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde (1421–1462)
* James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormonde (died 1546)
* James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (1610–1688) created Duke in 1661
* James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665–1745)
* James Arthur Wellington Foley Butler, 4th Marquess of Ormonde (1849–1943)
* James Arthur Norman Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde (1893–1971)
* James Edward William Theobald Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde (1844–1919)
* James George Anson Butler, 5th Marquess of Ormonde (1890–1949)
* James Hubert Theobald Charles Butler, 7th Marquess of Ormonde (1899–1997)
* James Wandesford Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde (1777–1838)
* John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormonde (died 1478)
* John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde (died 1766)
* John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde (1740–1795)
* John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde (1808–1854)
* Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde (died 1539)(also 1st Earl of Ossory)
* Piers Butler, 16th Viscount Mountgarret (1903–1966)
* Piers Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret (born 1961)
* Richard Butler, 1st Viscount Mountgarret (1500–1571)
* Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret (1578–1651)
* Richard Butler, 17th Viscount Mountgarret (1936–2004)
* Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler, first Chief Butler of Ireland, father of Theobald le Botiller
* Theobald Butler, 2nd Baron Butler, otherwise known as Theobald le Botiller
* Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde (died 1515)
* Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde (died 1614)
* Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormonde (died 1632)
* Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde (1703–1783)
* Walter Butler, Marquess of Ormonde (1770–1820) created Marquess of Ormonde (Ireland) in 1816

### Sciences

* Amos Butler (1860–1937), American naturalist
* Anne Butler (engineer). Irish Engineer
* Arthur Gardiner Butler (1844–1925), English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist
* Arthur Lennox Butler (1873–1939), British naturalist
* Clifford Charles Butler, English physicist
* Edward Albert Butler (1845–1925), English entomologist
* Edward Arthur Butler (1843–1916), British ornithologist and army officer in India
* Harry Butler, Australian naturalist
* Hildred Mary Butler (1906–1975), Australian microbiologist
* John Alfred Valentine Butler, English electrochemist
* Laurie Butler (born 1955), American chemist, twin of Lynne
* Lynne Butler (born 1955), American mathematician, twin of Laurie

### Sports

* Archie Butler (footballer), Australian rules footballer
* Billy Butler, American baseball player
* Caron Butler, American basketball player
* Charlie Butler-Henderson, British motor racing driver
* Da'Sean Butler (born 1988), American basketball player
* Deighton Butler (born 1974), West Indian cricketer
* Darien Butler (born 2000), American football player
* Darius Butler (born 1986), American football player
* Dennis Butler, football manager
* Duane Butler, American football player
* Eddie Butler (baseball), American baseball player
* Eddie Butler (rugby union), Welsh rugby union player and journalist
* Hakeem Butler (born 1996), American football player
* Ian Butler (cricketer) (born 1981), New Zealand cricketer
* Jeff Butler (born 1990), American wheelchair rugby player
* Jimmy Butler, American basketball player
* Larry Butler (darts player), American darts player
* Lawrence Butler (baseball) (born 2000), American baseball player
* Lawrence Butler (basketball) (1957–2018), American basketball player
* LeRoy Butler, American football player
* Malcolm Butler (born 1990), American football player
* Malcolm Butler (Irish footballer) (1913–1987), Irish footballer
* Mario Butler (born 1957), Panamanian basketball player
* Mitchell Butler (b. 1970), American sports agent and former basketball player
* Percy Butler (born 2000), American football player
* Phil Butler, rugby league footballer of the 1970s, and 1980s
* Rasual Butler (1979–2018), American basketball player
* Rich Butler, Canadian baseball player
* Steve Butler, American racing driver
* Todd Butler, American college baseball coach
* Torrey Butler, American basketball player
* Vicki Butler-Henderson, British racing driver and TV presenter
* Wayde Butler, American football player

### Other

* Alban Butler (1710–1773), English Catholic priest and author
* Anthea Butler (born 1950), American professor
* Christopher Butler (bishop) (1902–1986), English Catholic bishop
* Lady Eileen Gwladys Butler (1891–1943), later Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
* Elizabeth Beardsley Butler, American surveyor of social conditions
* Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918), English academic
* Ignacia Bordallo Butler (died 1993), Chamorro businesswoman and entrepreneur
* Kathleen M. Butler (1891–1972) Project manager for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
* Lee Pierce Butler, American academic and librarian
* Lucy Wood Butler (1820–1895), American temperance leader
* Matthew Butler, American Confederate general
* Montagu C. Butler, Esperantist, for whom the Montagu Butler Library is named
* Nicholas Murray Butler, American academic administrator and politician
* Norman 3X Butler, wrongfully convicted for the killing of Malcolm X
* Ovid Butler, American abolitionist for whom Butler University is named
* Smedley Butler, major-general, son of Thomas S. Butler
* Thaddeus J. Butler, American Catholic priest
* W. E. Butler, British occultist

## Fictional entities with the surname Butler

* Faykan Butler, a character from the Dune universe
* Rhett Butler, a character from Gone with the Wind
* Serena Butler, a character from the Dune universe
* Stan Butler, a character from On the Buses
* Domovoi and Juliet Butler, characters from the Artemis Fowl series
* Maggie Butler, a character from John B. Keane's 1965 play The Field