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Bonner Family History

Bonner Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English boner(e) bonour ‘gentle courteous’ (Old French bonnaire shortened from debonnaire). This surname is also common in Ireland where it was adopted for Ó Cnáimhsighe see Bonar.

Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Ynyr ‘son of Ynyr’ a common medieval personal name derived from Latin Honorius with fused patronymic marker (a)p normally voiced before a vowel.

German (also Bönner): from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Bonhard formed with the element bon ‘request petition’ (compare Latin bonus).

This surname is also found in Sweden. German: habitational name for someone from Bonn on the Rhine.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bonner family from?

You can see how Bonner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bonner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bonner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 481 Bonner families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Bonner's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bonner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bonner surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bonner ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bonner. 10% of Bonner men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Bonner women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bonner were Retired and Private Means.

View Census Data for Bonner | 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

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Gardener
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Retired
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Bonner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 184,000 census records available for the last name Bonner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bonner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bonner

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Bonner. 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 Bonner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Bonner. For the veterans among your Bonner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bonner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bonner family history

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What is the average Bonner lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Bonner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Bonner in 1942 was 40, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bonner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bonner ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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