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

Bonner, 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 Bonner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bonner in America

Bonner is the 1042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bonner surname appeared 33,446 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Bonner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bonner 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 Bonner

The surname Bonner is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bune," which means "a band or binding," or the Old French word "bon," meaning "good." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a maker of bonnets or headbands, or someone who was considered a good or virtuous person.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonner can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name appears in various forms, such as "Bunere" and "Bonere," indicating the variations in spelling that were common during that time.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert Bonner who was a prominent landowner in Oxfordshire, England. Another noteworthy figure was Edmund Bonner (c. 1500-1569), who served as the Bishop of London during the reign of Mary I and was known for his persecution of Protestants during the English Reformation.

The Bonner surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Bonner in Nottinghamshire, England, and Bonner Springs in Kansas, United States. The latter was named after Robert Bonner, an early settler in the area in the 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bonner include William Bonner (1804-1899), an English artist and illustrator known for his watercolor paintings of landscapes and architectural subjects. Robert Jasper Bonner (1817-1899) was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bonner Bridge, a notable structure connecting the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

In more recent times, the Bonner surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as Yelena Bonner (1923-2011), a Russian human rights activist and the wife of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov. Paul Bonner (1939-2020) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bonner

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

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

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

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