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

Bonney, 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 Bonney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bonney in America

Bonney is the 7413th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bonney surname appeared 4,491 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bonney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bonney 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 Bonney

The surname Bonney is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "bon" meaning "good" or "pleasant." It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonney can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert Bony from Oxfordshire. Another early reference is from the Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292, which mentions a William Bony.

The name Bonney is thought to have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a pleasant or good-natured disposition. It may also have derived from a place name, such as Bonney in Nottinghamshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Bony, Boney, and Bonny. These spelling variations were common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable bearer of the Bonney surname was William Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid (1859-1881), an American outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West. He was infamous for his involvement in the Lincoln County War and his numerous escapes from law enforcement.

Another historical figure with the Bonney surname was Joseph Bonney (1733-1816), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the 16th century, the Bonney family was prominent in Somerset, England. John Bonney (c.1550-1627) was a Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1597 and 1601.

The surname Bonney can also be found in early records from Normandy, France, where it may have originated as a variant of the French surname Bonhomme, meaning "good man."

Sarah Bonney (1792-1879) was an American educator and philanthropist who established one of the first public schools for girls in Massachusetts.

Thomas Bonney (1833-1923) was a renowned British geologist and professor at University College London, known for his contributions to the study of glacial geology and the geology of the Alps.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bonney

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

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

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

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