Bonner Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bonner last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Bonner last name
Meaning of the Bonner last name: gentle, courteous. The Bonner surname has several roots. In England it is a nickname from Old French bonnaire, "gentle, courteous"; in Wales it can come from ab Ynyr, "son of Ynyr"; and in Donegal it is an English form of an Irish name, chosen because the Irish sounded like the word for bone. A curious detail of this surname origin: one last name, three separate peoples, three different stories.
Arms associated with the Bonner name
In heraldry the full achievement adds a helmet, mantling and other parts around the shield, and coats of arms associated with the Bonner name are usually shown in that fuller form.
Get your full Bonner family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bonner story. The full Bonner history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bonner coat of arms. Get the full Bonner report.
Bonner name FAQ
What does the Bonner name mean?
Gentle, courteous. Common variants include Boner, Bonar.
Where does the Bonner surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Bonner coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bonner coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).