Butterscotch candy is thought to have originated in the early 1800s in Yorkshire, England. The term "butterscotch" is supposed to be a combination of the terms "butter" and "scotch," both of which signify to cut or score. In 1817, English confectioner Samuel Parkinson used the term "butterscotch" for the first time. Parkinson's butterscotch was a brown sugar, butter, and vinegar hard candy.