"And right there, at the very end of the loaf, facing you as you look in the bag, is...what? Is that the end of the loaf? The butt? The crust? The answer is none of those. It's the heel - the heel of the bread. It's OK if you used to call it something else, but heel is the correct term."
"There are nearly as many names for the heel as there are varieties of bread in the world. Some people call it the knob, the ender, the bumper, the healie, the knocker, or even a Norbert. However, Merriam-Webster, one of the most widely used dictionaries, lists "heel" as the proper term for the crusty end of a loaf of bread. Other dictionaries agree, too."
"The University of Texas at Austin Linguistics Research Center says the word heel comes from the Proto-Indo European word kenk, which translates roughly to heel (of course), hock, or back of the knee. The heel, hock (or ankle), and back of the knee all serve as structural supports in the body. They're the base on which something stands. The heel of your bread is the same way. Those pieces bookend the loaf; they hold all the good parts inside."
The crusty end of a loaf of bread is properly called the heel. Many informal names exist, including knob, ender, bumper, healie, knocker, and Norbert, but major dictionaries list heel as the correct term. The word traces to the Proto-Indo European kenk, related to heel, hock, or back of the knee, which function as structural supports. The heel of bread similarly bookends the loaf and protects the interior. Various languages use distinct terms: German knust, Dutch kontje, Italian il culo, Spanish el culo, French le quignon de pain or l'entame, and Japanese pan no mimi, among regional variants.
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