Surname Butterfaß - Meaning and Origin

Butterfaß: What does the surname Butterfaß mean?

The last name Butterfaß is a German name that refers to an old-fashioned type of artificial drink vessel. In the Middle Ages, a Butterfaß was a large open vessel, usually made out of wood or metal, that was often used for fermenting and storing beer. The root word of Butterfaß in German is butter, which means beer or beer mug. This type of container was usually larger than other vessels, making it well suited for larger amounts of liquid.

The name Butterfaß originally referred to someone who was a maker, user or owner of such vessels. It is believed that the name Butterfaß originates from the town of Saalfelden in Austria, where these types of vessels were commonly made and used. As the craft grew in popularity, individuals who crafted the vessels began to have their own unique name that would define them and their trade.

Today, the surname Butterfaß is still common in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and is also found in the United States and Canada. In modern times, the name Butterfaß is often used as a given name in combination with other family names. It has also acquired additional meanings, having come to be associated with someone who is witty, humorous, and has a zest for life.

Butterfaß: Where does the name Butterfaß come from?

The last name Butterfaß is a German surname that is most commonly found in the areas of Altefeld and Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany. Other areas of the country where this surname is found include Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate. Substantial numbers of Butterfaß surnames have been found in other countries as well, including countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

The surname is believed to originate from the Middle High German word buterfas, which means “butter dish” or a container for butter. It is believed that this surname originally referred to someone who made even distributed butter to the general public from a container of some sort.

The Butterfaß surname is believed to have been in use since the early 1500s. It appears in records from Germany, and it was a relatively common name in the region until World War II, when many surname variations were changed to avoid potential persecution.

Today, the Butterfaß surname is seen as relatively rare, but it is still in use in Germany and in other countries around the world. In Altefeld and Nordhausen, home of the original family, the surname has remained relatively common, with many descendants of the original family still living in the area.

Variations of the surname Butterfaß

The Butterfaß surname can be spelled a few different ways depending on the language or region. The most commonly accepted spelling is Butterfaß, but it can also be spelled Butterfass, Butterfahss, Botterfas, Battersfas, Botterfass, and Botterfahss.

The Butterfaß surname originated in Germany and is thought to derive from the word "butterfass", which translates to "butter barrel". It could also have derived as an occupational surname for someone who made or sold butter barrels. People who held this surname may also have been associated with a butter barrel maker's shop, or were someone who made butter by hand from animal or vegetable fat.

Variants of the Butterfaß surname have been found around Europe and are mainly located in Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, and Belarus. These variants include the surnames Buttersfaß, Buttersfasz, Futtersfass, Bottersfas, and Bottersfahss.

The Butterfaß name is also found in the United States and Canada by immigrants who came from Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These immigrants most likely anglicized their surnames to fit the English language. Variants of the Butterfaß surname in these countries are Butters, Futters, Botters, and Bottersfass.

Famous people with the name Butterfaß

• Henry Butterfaß: German author and journalist best known for his 1916 book The Way to Civil War.
• Lena Butterfaß: German television presenter who has been a regular guest on the talk show Leute Heute since 2015.
• Fritz Butterfaß: German architect who designed the city centre of Berlin in the late 19th century.
• Maria Butterfaß: German fashion designer who launched her eponymous line in 2019.
• Arnold Butterfaß: German literary scholar and professor of American studies at the University of Munich.
• Christian Butterfaß: German entrepreneur who founded tech startup Unendlichkeit AG in 2011.
• Joseph Butterfaß: Austrian composer who wrote the cantata Unser menschliches Glück in 1909.
• Lydia Butterfaß: German biographer whose 2009 biography of Maximilian I won the Friedrich W. Kolbe Prize.
• Erwin Butterfaß: Austrian-German film director whose works include The Dreamers (1928) and Hellgeist (1933).
• Paul Butterfaß: Austrian physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1905 for his work on the thermoelectric effect.

Other surnames

Butterfield