Buttercups belong to a plant family named Ranunculaceae. The Buttercups family includes a wide variety of plants in the genus Ranunculus.

The name Ranunculus is Late Latin for "little frog," . This probably refers to many species being found near water, like frogs.

The name The name Buttercup may come from a false belief that the plants give butter its characteristic yellow hue.

Buttercups are said to be poisonous to cows and other livestock. However, due to their acrid taste (and the blistering of the mouth caused by their poison) they are usually left uneaten by livestock.