Buonanno last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Buonanno

An Italian surname indicating good year or good harvest.

Buonanno, 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 Buonanno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Buonanno in America

Buonanno is the 41038th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Buonanno surname appeared 531 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 Buonanno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Buonanno 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 41038 39885 2.85%
Count 531 518 2.48%
Proportion per 100k 0.18 0.19 -5.41%

The history of the last name Buonanno

The surname Buonanno is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century in the region of Campania, particularly in the city of Naples. It is derived from the Italian phrase "buon anno," which means "good year." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname given to someone born or baptized around the New Year, or perhaps to someone who brought good fortune or prosperity.

The earliest known record of the name Buonanno dates back to 1287 in a Neapolitan document, where it appears as "Buonanno de Neapoli." This indicates that the name had already been established in the area for some time. Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Buonanni, Buonanni, and Buonanno.

One notable figure associated with the surname is Francesco Buonanno (1607-1697), an Italian philosopher and theologian. He was a prominent figure in the Baroque period and served as a professor at the University of Naples. Another individual of historical significance is Gaetano Buonanno (1827-1898), an Italian composer and conductor who was active in the late 19th century.

In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of the renowned Italian author Giuseppe Tommasi (1832-1900). His novel "Il Buonanno" features a character with this surname, although it is unclear whether the character was based on a real person.

During the Renaissance period, the Buonanno family produced several notable artists and architects. One such figure was Girolamo Buonanno (1509-1578), a painter and architect from Naples who worked on several important projects in the city, including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Another significant individual bearing the surname Buonanno was Giovanni Buonanno (1886-1963), an Italian politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the political landscape of the early 20th century.

While the surname Buonanno is not among the most common in Italy, it has a rich history that spans centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the Campania region, particularly in the city of Naples. The name's connection to the phrase "buon anno" and its association with individuals of note in various fields, from philosophy and literature to art and politics, contribute to its enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Buonanno

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

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 Buonanno was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.35% 501
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.94% 5
Hispanic Origin 4.14% 22

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 Buonanno has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.35% 94.40% -0.05%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.94% 1.16% -20.95%
Hispanic 4.14% 3.47% 17.61%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Buonanno last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/buonanno-surname-popularity/.

"Buonanno last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/buonanno-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

Buonanno last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/buonanno-surname-popularity/.

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