We were finishing off at the gym today after a workout and a family swim and I overheard someone signing in spelling his name, BUTTERWORTH.
That’s right! Another person named Butterworth. He’s originally from Yorkshire like our Butterworth roots.
The name Butterworth comes from districts in Lancashire (now part of Milnrow) and Yorkshire and it is derived from the Old English meaning butter + enclosure or butter farm. The earliest traceable Butterworth in our family is Matthew, married in 1701 who lived in Nabbs (or Knabbs) Hall, Silkstone, Yorkshire.
This is from the family tree work done by my fathers cousin. That is his father’s brother’s son. Who is also named Ian.
The person I met today said he doesn’t know his family tree but he’s only met in his live about four other Butterworths. So who knows, maybe we’re related. He said the original Butterworths came over in the 11th century from France where the name was something else.
That led to a family discussion on this and me looking up the origin of the word butter.
butter O.E. butere, from a W.Gmc. source (cf. Ger. Butter, Du. boter), an early loan-word from L. butyrum “butter,” from Gk. boutyron, perhaps lit. “cow-cheese,” from bous “ox, cow” + tyros “cheese;” but this may be a folk-etymology of a Scythian word. The product was used from an early date in India, Iran and northern Europe, but not in ancient Greece and Rome. Herodotus described it (along with cannabis) among the oddities of the Scythians. The verb meaning “to flatter lavishly” is from 1816. Butter-fingered is attested from 1615. Deceptively named buttermilk is from 1528; it is what remains after the butter has been churned out.
And the Etymology Dictionary also concurs:
worth as final element in place names, is from O.E. wor? “enclosed place, homestead.”
So much more to discover.
And I’m allergic to milk.
