History of the Butler

As a profession, the butler arose in medieval Europe, its name deriving from the Old French "bouteillier," the keeper of the bottles who managed the wine. Distant forerunners of household management, however, can be found in ancient Egypt around 3000 BC, where the courts of the pharaohs employed managers known as household overseers; together with the Roman atriensis, they are regarded as precursors that preceded the butler.

The Victorian era (1837–1901) was the golden age of the butler. The concentration of wealth brought by the Industrial Revolution made great-house culture flourish, and the butler was a prestigious role leading the male staff — the footmen and their fellows — in houses of dozens to hundreds of servants; where a house steward was appointed the butler ranked second to him, and the female staff were overseen by the housekeeper. The service protocols and manners established in this era are inherited by THE BUTLER’s butlers today.

From the Meiji Restoration (1868) onward, butler culture was introduced to Japan along with the inflow of Western culture. In the Rokumeikan era, butlers invited from Britain trained Japanese servants, and in 1890 the first head, Shingo Tanaka, founded the All Japan Butler Association.

Both are senior household roles, but historically the steward was the highest rank managing the entire estate’s assets, while the butler oversaw household affairs and hospitality. Today their roles often overlap; see the “Difference between a steward and a butler” page for details.