Why are butterflies called butterflies?

Summary: it is due to the color of certain common butterflies of England, and/or the misconception that butterflies eat butter. The origin of that myth is another question altogether, probably based on their color, some silly happenstance, or one case of a butterfly "puddling" from a melted butter pat and this being confused as the norm. read more

An alternative folk etymology, current in Great Britain, is that it originated as a contraction of term butter-coloured fly referring to the Brimstone Butterfly, Gonepteryx rhamni, often the first butterfly of Spring. read more