Find out how popular the last name Bonanno is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bonanno.

Bonanno, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bonanno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bonanno in America

Bonanno is the 8834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bonanno surname appeared 3,709 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bonanno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bonanno to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bonanno

The surname Bonanno originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian word "buono," meaning "good," and the suffix "-anno," which is commonly used to form surnames in Italian. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered good or virtuous.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bonanno can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical documents from southern Italy. One notable mention is in a manuscript from 1189, which refers to a nobleman named Ruggiero Bonanno who lived in Palermo, Sicily.

In the 13th century, the Bonanno family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of Messina, Sicily. One notable member was Matteo Bonanno, a renowned jurist and judge who served as the Capitano di Giustizia (Captain of Justice) in Messina from 1260 to 1264.

The Bonanno surname can also be found in several historical records related to the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. For instance, in 1445, a nobleman named Giovanni Bonanno was mentioned in a document from the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon.

During the 16th century, the Bonanno family established itself as a prominent noble family in Palermo. One notable member was Pietro Bonanno (1473-1547), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as a senator and held various important positions in the city's administration.

Another notable figure with the surname Bonanno was Giuseppe Bonanno (1711-1788), a Sicilian architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Palermo, including the Church of San Domenico and the Palazzo Bonanno, which still stands today.

In the 19th century, Salvatore Bonanno (1829-1908) was a renowned Sicilian poet and playwright who wrote extensively in the Sicilian language. His works were influential in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Sicily.

Throughout history, the Bonanno surname has been associated with various places and locations in Sicily and Calabria, such as Bonanno (a comune in the province of Trapani), Bonannaro (a town in the province of Sassari, Sardinia), and Bonannaro (a frazione of Montecorvino Rovella in the province of Salerno, Campania).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bonanno

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bonanno.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bonanno was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bonanno has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bonanno was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bonanno, please contact us.

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