| ![Show Contents]() Benoni History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy The distinguished surname Benoni originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Benoni came from the Italian personal name "Beno." Further research showed the name was derived from the Latin word bene which means well, in good health. Early Origins of the Benoni familyThe surname Benoni was first found in Gubbio, a city in the region of Umbria. The family can be traced back to the 10th century, when Federigo Beni of Gubbio became mayor of Mantua and eventually senator of Milan. The name means "benign," "friendly," or "harmless." The name therefore probably originated as a nickname for a man who displayed those characteristics. Early History of the Benoni familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benoni research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1650, 1660, 1684, 1780, 1784, 1787 and 1877 are included under the topic Early Benoni History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Benoni Spelling VariationsThere are many variations of most of those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. Some of these come from regional differences, like the tradition of ending northern names in "o" and southern names in "i". Others come from inaccuracies in the recording process, which were extremely common in the eras before dictionaries standardized spelling. Some of the spelling variations of Benoni are Beni, Bene, Del Bene, Benelli, Benella, Benini, Benigni, Benucci, Benuzzi, Benussi, Benocci, Benozzi, Benolli, Benoli, Benotti, Benotto, Benoni, Benone, Benacci, Benassi, Benazzi, Benazzoli, Benacchio, Benaglio, Benaglia, Benanti, Benati, Benato, Bennato and many more. Early Notables of the Benoni familyProminent among bearers of this family in early times was Giacomo Beni, Bishop of Fano, and Giuseppe Beni was Bishop of Carpentras in the 18th century. The Beni family of Gubbio owned vast amounts of land and were Counts. Prominent members of the Benoni family during this later period include a Benelli born in Prato in 1877, who was a famous author; Giuseppe Benelli was a renowned mechanic of guns, cars and motorcycles in the early 20th century. Signora Benini was an Italian...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Benoni Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Benoni familyInvestigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Benoni: Abraham Beni, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1727.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Benoni (post 1700) | + |
- Benoni Whitten (b. 1883), American attorney and jurist, 19th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in 1870
- Benoni Danks (1716-1763), American New England Ranger and politician in Nova Scotia
- Benoni Stinson Fuller (1825-1903), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Indiana State Senate, 1863-65, 1871-73; Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1867-69 1
- Benoni Gillet, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Granby, 1820 2
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