Butry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Butry

What does the name Butry mean?

The name Butry was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Butry family lived in Buckinghamshire. The name Butry refers to the family's original place of residence, Boteri in Falaise, Normandy, where they lived prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed "Roger de Boteri, Alvered, John, and Roger occur in Normandy 1180-1198." 1

Alternatively the name could have been an occupational name as "derived from an official title. 'at the buttery.' The keeper of the butlery, or store for liquor; 'buttery-bar.' (Shakespeare) " 2

Early Origins of the Butry family

The surname Butry was first found in Buckinghamshire where William Buteri was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1177. A few years later in Herefordshire, Reginald Boteri was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1211. In Suffolk, William de Buteri was listed in the same rolls of 1219. Over one hundred years later, John de la Buterye was listed in the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1334. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed William Boter in Gloucestershire. 1

Early History of the Butry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Butry research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1530, 1669 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Butry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Butry Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Buttery, Buttry, Butry and others.

Early Notables of the Butry family

More information is included under the topic Early Butry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Butry family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Butry or a variant listed above: Margaret Buttery who settled in Virginia in 1655; John Henry Buttery arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856; Nicholas and Martha Buttry arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1635 with their daughter Grace..

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)