Surname Buttersack - Meaning and Origin

Buttersack: What does the surname Buttersack mean?

The last name Buttersack is of English origin. It is an occupational last name that is derived from the tradesman name "butter sack." The name specifically originated from someone whose occupation was to sell or transport butter by using a sack or bag for delivery and transportation.

Butter was one of the primary commodities used in the Middle Ages, and the butter sack was one of the most efficient methods for transporting butter at the time. Later, the notion of the butter sack as an occupational name transcended into a last name, and individuals who worked in the butter industry would often take the name Buttersack.

The cultural background of the last name Buttersack is also steeped in European tradition. In some European countries, it is believed that the surname is related to a “pledge of faithfulness” by which farmers would store their produce in butter sacks and transport it by hand. Being a tool for transportation, the butter sack was a symbolic representation of a farmer’s faithfulness to his land and business.

The history of the surname Buttersack is a unique and interesting one, and one that speaks to its origin of usefulness and faithfulness in different contexts. There is significance in the fusion of a functional tool with an identity, and it is not hard to see why this name has endured and is still popular today.

Buttersack: Where does the name Buttersack come from?

The last name Buttersack is not common today and is not found in any official census data. However, there are a handful of individuals who carry the name across the globe. It can be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States of America.

In the United Kingdom, the last name Buttersack can be found in small towns and villages across England and Scotland. It is likely that the name was brought to England by a German migrant in the early 19th Century. In Canada, there is a small population of Buttersacks located primarily in the Province of Quebec.

In the United States of America, Buttersack is thought to have originated in Pennsylvania during the 19th Century. Records of the surname have been found in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Virginia, and Washington DC. More recently, the name can also be found in California, Illinois, and Texas.

Due to its relative rarity, many Buttersacks have chosen to shorten the surname to Butters or Beck to make it easier to pronounce. Today, the last name is still quite uncommon but it continues to be held by individuals in a variety of countries and states.

Variations of the surname Buttersack

The surname Buttersack is an English patronymic surname, derived from a person’s given name plus the name of their father, typically suffixed with “-sack”. The name is most likely derived from Germanic and Old English roots, and the origin of the name can be traced back to the Middle Ages when a similar name, “butresacc” or “butresak” was used.

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Buttersack include: Butresac, Butresack, Buteresack, Butresick, Butresack, Buttersach, Buttersack, Buttersock, Butteressack, Buttersac, Buttersacke, Buttersick, Buttersock, and Buttersacke.

Throughout the centuries, several variations of the Buttersack surname have appeared. Pre-1800 variants are rare, however, spellings such as “Butresak” and “Butterseyk” were recorded in the 14th century in Germany, while variants such as “Butersak” and “Butersak” are found documented in the 16th century in England. In America, Buttersock would become the more common spelling, typically having been adopted by English-speaking Quakers, who altered the spelling to better fit their English dialect. Other variants, such as Butersow and Butressek, also popped up in Pennsylvania.

The different spellings of Buttersack all carry the same original meaning and can be traced back to the same origin. The origin of this surname is likely Germanic or Old English, and while the variants may have been altered to accommodate various dialects, the core meaning remains the same - "father's sack."

Famous people with the name Buttersack

• Amelie Buttersack: former MTV VJ and presenter of the TV show “Beats”
• Julian Buttersack: comedian and YouTube sensation
• Tyler Buttersack: former NFL quarterback
• Kias Buttersack: former Olympic gold medalist
• Stephen Buttersack: voice actor, having provided the voices for several video games and animated series
• Elmer Buttersack: Nobel Prize-winning scientist
• Tracy Buttersack: film and television director, winner of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix
• Darcy Buttersack: Grammy-winning jazz musician
• Clive Buttersack: renowned painter and sculptor
• Noel Buttersack: Curtis Brown Award nominated author and essayist

Other surnames

Butterstein