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

Bonhomme, 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 Bonhomme surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bonhomme in America

Bonhomme is the 23167th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bonhomme surname appeared 1,101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bonhomme.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bonhomme 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 Bonhomme

The surname Bonhomme has its origins in France, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "bon" meaning "good" and "homme" meaning "man," effectively translating to "good man." This combination likely referred to an honorable or virtuous individual.

The name first appeared in records from the 12th century, predominantly in northern and central France. During this period, surnames were becoming more common, often reflecting personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonhomme can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Savigny, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, which mentions a "Robertus Bonhomme" in the year 1173.

In the 13th century, the surname Bonhomme appeared in various historical documents, such as the Rôles des baillis d'Amiens, which recorded the name "Jehans Bonhomme" in 1291.

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453), the Bonhommes, a group of peasant rebels, played a significant role in the Jacquerie uprising of 1358. This association further solidified the surname's connection with commoners and ordinary people.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Bonhomme include:

1. Nicolas Bonhomme (c. 1380-1450), a French composer and theorist during the Renaissance era.
2. Jacques Bonhomme (c. 1450-1520), a French sculptor and architect known for his work on the Château de Chambord.
3. Pierre Bonhomme (1569-1617), a French painter and engraver active in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
4. Jean-Baptiste Bonhomme (1705-1782), a French painter and draftsman known for his portraiture and genre scenes.
5. Louis Bonhomme (1822-1899), a French painter and illustrator associated with the Barbizon school of landscape painting.

The surname Bonhomme also lent itself to various place names in France, such as Bonhomme-lès-Toul in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department and Bonhomme-Craon in the Vienne department, further solidifying its historical significance and geographic spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bonhomme

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

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 Bonhomme 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 Bonhomme 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 Bonhomme was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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