how did Butters even get the nickname "Butters"?

His real name is Leopold Stotch (check South Park wiki) They call him "Butters" because his last name is Stotch. It's word play on "Butterscotch"

Who knows? But it sounds way cooler than Leopold.

I GUESS NOBODY KNOWS AND THEN AGAIN NOBODY CARES!

i saw an interwiew with Trey and Matt on Butters and they said that he was based on their staff member and friend Eric Stough and his voise is basicly Matt making fun of him. They called him their buddy, their little buddy, their butters. and that's where his name came from!

That makes sense. It could also be cos hes as soft as butter...

I dont know, i guess it was just his name, Butters. I dont even get why his mum or dad named him Butters in the first place, do you?

he's cute and the name butters is cute so yah it makes since XD

butter's full name is BUTTERS-SCOTCH.
his last name is SCOTCH, thats how he got his nickname.

thatz his name butter leapord scoch

The real reason why is because of Eric Stough animation director and producer of south park because The nickname Butters evolved from Parker and Stone calling Stough "little buddy or butters for years

His name is Theodore Leopold Scotch but I don't know how he got butters.