2000
#13,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Bonn
A locational surname referring to someone from the German city of Bonn or a place with a similar name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,259 Americans carry the last name Bonn. That puts it at #14,543 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,728 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bonn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,728
Census rank
#14,543
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,970 bearers of the surname Bonn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14543rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonn
The surname BONN is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German city of Bonn, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The name likely originated as a locational surname, given to individuals who hailed from or lived near the city of Bonn.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname BONN can be found in the Codex Falkensteinensis, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name BONN, suggesting that the surname was already in use during this time period.
In the 14th century, the surname BONN appeared in various records and documents across the German-speaking regions. Notable examples include the Habsburger Urbar, a medieval land registry from Austria, and the Wittenberger Heberegister, a tax record from the city of Wittenberg.
The 16th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals bearing the surname BONN. One such figure was Johannes BONN, a German composer and organist who lived from around 1510 to 1570. His works were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, the name BONN gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Peter BONN (1670-1748), a German painter and engraver. His works, which often depicted religious and mythological scenes, were highly regarded and can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
Another notable individual with the surname BONN was Johann Baptist BONN (1743-1805), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several important buildings and structures in his native city of Bonn.
As the surname spread across Europe, it also appeared in various localized spellings and variations. In France, for instance, the name was sometimes spelled as BONNE, while in the Netherlands, it took the form of BOON or BONS.
Throughout history, the surname BONN has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, musicians, architects, and scholars. While not an exhaustive list, these examples highlight the rich heritage and lasting impact of this German surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonn
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bonn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,766
- Two or more races3.2% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 45
- Black or African American1.5% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonn
Bonn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,266
+162 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#14,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,970
-296 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,297 | 2,104 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,440 | 2,266 | 0.77 | +162 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #14,543 | 1,970 | 0.66 | -296 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 1,103 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bonn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,440 | #14,543 | -8.2% |
| Count | 2,266 | 1,970 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.66 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonn bearers went from 2,266 to 1,970 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 1,103 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,440 to #14,543.
FAQ
Bonn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,259 living Americans carry the surname Bonn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,728 residents.
How common is Bonn?
Bonn ranks #14,543 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,970 people with the surname Bonn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bonn.
Has Bonn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonn went from 2,266 recorded bearers to 1,970. That is a decrease of 296 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,440 to #14,543.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bonn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,766 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bonn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bonn mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the German city of Bonn or a place with a similar name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bonn (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bonn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Bonn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.