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Arbutus
How to Pronounce Arbutus
Pronounced ar-BYOO-tuhs /ΙrΛbju.tΙs/Medium
Meaning: Arbutus is a flower name β the trailing arbutus, also called the Mayflower β taken from the Latin arbutus, the strawberry tree; parents gave it as a nature name in the early twentieth century.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Arbutus comes straight from the plant β the trailing arbutus, Epigaea repens, a fragrant pink spring wildflower β whose name is the Latin arbutus, the strawberry tree. It belongs to the early-1900s fashion for botanical names alongside Fern, Ivy, and Myrtle.
Never common, it clustered in the first decades of the twentieth century and had faded by the nineteen-sixties. It is a true period piece: a nature name so specific it never left its era, and it has not returned with the current wildflower-name revival.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Arbutus mean?
Arbutus is a flower name from the trailing arbutus, or Mayflower, taken from the Latin name for the strawberry tree.
How do you pronounce Arbutus?
It's said ar-BYOO-tuhs /ΙrΛbju.tΙs/ β three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Arbutus a boy or girl name?
Arbutus is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Arbutus?
Arbutus was a rare early-twentieth-century flower name and is essentially unused today.