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Bonar Family History

Bonar Name Meaning

Scottish: variant of Bonner . Irish (Donegal): Scottish name adopted as a translation of Gaelic Ó Cnáimhsighe ‘descendant of Cnáimhseach’ a byname meaning ‘midwife’. This word seems to be a derivative of cnámh ‘bone’ (with the feminine ending -seach) but if so the reason for this is not clear. Polish: from German Bohner or Boner ‘bean grower’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Boner, Bonnar, Bona, Bodnar, Bolar, Honan, Bina, Bogar, Boyar, Boal

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bonar family from?

You can see how Bonar families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bonar family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bonar families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 26 Bonar families living in Hampshire. This was about 32% of all the recorded Bonar's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Bonar families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bonar surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bonar ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Carpenter joiner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bonar. 100% of Bonar men worked as a Carpenter joiner and 89% of Bonar women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Bonar | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Carpenter joiner
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Nurse
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bonar family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Bonar. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bonar census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bonar

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Bonar. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bonar immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Bonar. For the veterans among your Bonar ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bonar military records

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What is the average Bonar lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Bonar life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Bonar in 1954 was 30, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bonar

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