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

Bonton, 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 Bonton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bonton in America

Bonton is the 43651st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bonton surname appeared 494 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bonton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bonton 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 Bonton

The surname BONTON originated in France during the late 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French phrase "bon ton", which translates to "good manners" or "good taste". This surname was likely given to individuals who were regarded as well-mannered or fashionable in their respective communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BONTON surname can be found in a parish record from the village of Villeneuve-sur-Lot in southwestern France, dated 1698. In this document, a man named Pierre BONTON is mentioned as a local landowner.

During the 18th century, the BONTON name began to spread across France, with records indicating families bearing this surname in various regions, including Normandy, Burgundy, and the Rhône-Alpes region. Notable individuals from this period include Jacques BONTON (1720-1795), a renowned philosopher and writer from Lyon, and Marie-Françoise BONTON (1745-1823), a prominent figure in the French Revolution.

As the 19th century dawned, the BONTON surname continued to gain prominence. One of the most celebrated individuals with this name was the writer and poet, Victor BONTON (1807-1881). Born in Paris, Victor BONTON is widely regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement in French literature.

In the 20th century, the BONTON name became more widely dispersed, with individuals bearing this surname found in various parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure was the French artist and sculptor, René BONTON (1905-1988), whose works are housed in several prestigious museums across Europe.

Throughout its history, the BONTON surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in France. For instance, the village of Bonton-sur-Loire in central France is believed to have derived its name from the BONTON family who once owned land in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bonton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!