2000
#8,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,379
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Bono
An Italian surname derived from the word "bono," meaning "good" or "virtuous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,541 Americans carry the last name Bono. That puts it at #8,026 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bono 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
4.5K
1 in 75,480
Census rank
#8,026
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,960 bearers of the surname Bono in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8026th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bono, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bono
The surname Bono originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "bonus," meaning "good" or "virtuous." The name is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered to be of good character or moral standing.
In its earliest forms, the name was spelled variations such as Boni, Bono, Buono, and Buoni. These spellings were often used interchangeably, as consistent spelling standards were not yet established. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Bono can be found in the historic city of Siena, where a wealthy merchant family bearing the name is mentioned in records from the 13th century. This family played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs during the Medieval period.
Another notable early bearer of the name was Girolamo Bono, a renowned cartographer and map maker who lived in the late 16th century. Born in Venice in 1552, Bono produced detailed maps of the Mediterranean region, including the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, which were highly regarded for their accuracy and precision.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Bono family settled in the Kingdom of Naples, where they acquired lands and titles. One prominent member was Francesco Bono, who served as a magistrate and judge in the city of Naples during the reign of King Charles II of Spain.
During the Italian Renaissance, the Bono surname was associated with several artists and intellectuals. Bartolomeo Bono, born in Florence in 1495, was a celebrated painter and fresco artist whose works adorned churches and palaces throughout Tuscany.
In more recent history, the name Bono has gained global recognition due to Paul David Hewson, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, who is widely known by his stage name, Bono. While not his legal surname, the moniker Bono has become inextricably linked with his persona and advocacy efforts, particularly in the areas of human rights and global poverty.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bono
Among Census respondents with the surname Bono, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bono 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 Bono surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 3,481
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 247
- Two or more races2.5% · 99
- Black or African American1.7% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bono
Bono 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
#6,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,272
+1,893 bearers (+56.0%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 2,466 places
2020
#8,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,960
-1,312 bearers (-24.9%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 1,585 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,907 | 3,379 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,441 | 5,272 | 1.79 | +1,893 bearers (+56.0%) | Up 2,466 places |
| 2020 | #8,026 | 3,960 | 1.32 | -1,312 bearers (-24.9%) | Down 1,585 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 Bono 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 | #6,441 | #8,026 | -24.6% |
| Count | 5,272 | 3,960 | -24.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.32 | -26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bono bearers went from 5,272 to 3,960 (-24.9% change). The surname moved down 1,585 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,441 to #8,026.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bono
FAQ
Bono surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bono?
Name Census estimates that about 4,541 living Americans carry the surname Bono. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,480 residents.
How common is Bono?
Bono ranks #8,026 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.32 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 3,960 people with the surname Bono. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.32 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 Bono.
Has Bono become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bono went from 5,272 recorded bearers to 3,960. That is a decrease of 1,312 (-24.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,441 to #8,026.
What does the Census say about the background of Bono?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bono, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bono in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (3,481 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bono appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (6.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bono (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 Bono mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "bono," meaning "good" or "virtuous." 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 Bono (1.32 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 share the surname Bono?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.