Butterfield lahir di Islington, [[London]], putra dari Jacqueline Farr, seorang psikolog dan Sam Butterfield, seorang copywriter iklan.<ref name="production-notes">{{cite web |url=http://www.visualhollywood.com/movies_2008/boy_in_striped_pyjamas/cast.php |title=The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Production Notes |year=2008 |work=[[Miramax Films]] |accessdate=20 Januari 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131205632/http://www.visualhollywood.com/movies_2008/boy_in_striped_pyjamas/cast.php |archivedate=31 Januari 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Cath |title=Act your age: the new wave of high-powered child stars |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jul/22/new-child-actors-jaden-smith-chloe-moretz |newspaper=The Guardian |date=22 July 2010 |location=London, UK}}</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/dec/28/sex-education-asa-butterfield-feel-more-confident-talking-about-sex</ref>
