2000
#11,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,612
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Bonnette
A diminutive of Bonnet, likely referring to a person who wore or made distinctive caps or hats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,922 Americans carry the last name Bonnette. That puts it at #11,761 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,301 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonnette 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,301
Census rank
#11,761
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,548 bearers of the surname Bonnette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11761st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonnette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonnette
The surname Bonnette has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bonnet," which referred to a type of headgear worn during that era. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name or nickname for someone who made or sold bonnets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bonnette surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholders and properties in England. This suggests that individuals with this surname may have migrated to England from France during the Norman Conquest or shortly thereafter.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Étienne Bonnette (born around 1220) was a French knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade. His involvement in this significant historical event highlights the presence of the Bonnette name during the medieval period.
During the 16th century, the Bonnette surname gained prominence in the region of Normandy, France, where it was associated with several notable families. One prominent individual was Jean Bonnette (1536-1598), a French lawyer and magistrate who served as a judge in the Parlement of Normandy.
In the 17th century, the Bonnette surname can be traced to the United States, with records showing that Pierre Bonnette (1620-1685) was among the early French settlers in the colony of New France (present-day Canada). He and his family established themselves in the region of Québec, contributing to the spread of the name in North America.
Another notable figure was Jacques Bonnette (1685-1752), a French architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several important landmarks in Paris, including the Église Saint-Roch and the Hôtel des Invalides.
As the Bonnette surname migrated across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, including Bonet, Bonnet, and Bonetta. Additionally, some variations may have derived from place names or locations where families with this surname resided, such as Bonneville or Bonnétable.
Throughout history, the Bonnette surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including nobility, military figures, artists, and scholars. While this summary provides an overview of the name's origins and early history, it is important to note that genealogical research and historical records may uncover additional fascinating details about this enduring surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonnette
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonnette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonnette 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 Bonnette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 2,194
- Black or African American6.9% · 177
- Two or more races3.2% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonnette
Bonnette 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
#11,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,696
+84 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 486 places
2020
#11,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,548
-148 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,141 | 2,612 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,627 | 2,696 | 0.91 | +84 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 486 places |
| 2020 | #11,761 | 2,548 | 0.85 | -148 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 134 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 Bonnette 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 | #11,627 | #11,761 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,696 | 2,548 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.85 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonnette bearers went from 2,696 to 2,548 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,627 to #11,761.
FAQ
Bonnette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonnette?
Name Census estimates that about 2,922 living Americans carry the surname Bonnette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,301 residents.
How common is Bonnette?
Bonnette ranks #11,761 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,548 people with the surname Bonnette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,922), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Bonnette.
Has Bonnette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonnette went from 2,696 recorded bearers to 2,548. That is a decrease of 148 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,627 to #11,761.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonnette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonnette, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Bonnette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (2,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonnette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (6.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Bonnette (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 Bonnette mean?
A diminutive of Bonnet, likely referring to a person who wore or made distinctive caps or hats. 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 Bonnette (0.85 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 Bonnette?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bonnette? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.