Butterfly
Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterised by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossils have been dated to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago, though molecular evidence suggests that they likely originated in the Cretaceous.
Meaning & Origin of Butterfly
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterised by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossils have been dated to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago, though molecular evidence suggests that they likely originated in the Cretaceous.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Butterfly
American parents first put Butterfly on the record books as a baby girl name in 2003, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 5 Butterflys were born — ranking #15,782 that year. About 50% of every Butterfly on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Butterfly last appeared in the published SSA data in 2010, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Butterfly
Phonetically similar names — useful when Butterfly is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Butterflies
- Butterflys
- Butterflied
- Botfly
- Barfly
- Bitterly
- Butterfish
- Butterfield
- Butterfat
- Butterflying
- Bitterful
- Buttery
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Butterfly
What does the name Butterfly mean?
How popular is Butterfly in 2026?
When was Butterfly most popular?
Is Butterfly a unisex name?
What names go well with Butterfly?
About the name Butterfly
Butterfly is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2003 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Butterfly's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #15,782. Use the chart and map above to compare Butterfly's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.