Explore the Family Name But
The meaning of But
1. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 畢, see Bi 1. 2. Indian: variant of Butt. 3. Slovenian: probably a nickname for a foolish person, from the archaic word but ‘club, beetle’, which is related to the adjective butast ‘stupid, silly’ (see Butala).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name But in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'But' has slightly increased in the United States. In 2000, it ranked 76,946 in popularity, but by 2010, it had risen to 74,141 — a modest increase of 3.65%. The total count of individuals with this surname also grew from 232 to 261 over the same decade, a rise of 12.5%. However, the concentration of people named But per 100,000 population remained constant at 0.09.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #76,946 | #74,141 | 3.65% |
| Count | 232 | 261 | 12.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name But
The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also reveals shifts in the ethnicity associated with the surname 'But'. While the majority still identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, the proportion decreased from 63.79% in 2000 to 55.56% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as White saw significant growth, from 28.45% to 37.93%. There was also a small emergence of those identifying as Hispanic at 2.3% in 2010, while the category of two or more races dropped to zero. The number of people named But identifying as Black marginally decreased and there were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 63.79% | 55.56% | -12.9% |
| White | 28.45% | 37.93% | 33.32% |
| Black | 3.02% | 2.68% | -11.26% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.3% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 3.45% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |