Show ContentsBonds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Bonds family name to the British Isles. Bonds is a name for a husbandman, or a farmer. 1

The name stems from the Old English/Saxon roots bonda and bunda, which were used to indicate such a person. "There are several persons called Bonde in the Domesday [Book], one of whom is somewhat contradictorily called 'liber homo.' 2 3 Bonde, Bondi, Bunde, Bundi were all listed in the Domesday Book. 4

Early Origins of the Bonds family

The surname Bonds was first found in Norfolk where Albertus filius Bund, Bonde was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1199 and 1202. Norman le Bonde was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1180 and William Bonde was a Knights Templar in 1185. Later, Robert Bunde was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1198 and Henry le Bounde was found in Hertfordshire in 1297. 4

"Ralph de Bonde occurs in Palgrave's Rotuli Curiae Regis of 1199. Robert de Bundy founded Bradley Priory, Leicestershire, in the time of King John. There was a family of Bendys in Staffordshire. 'Shutt-End,' says Erdeswick, 'is an old house, formerly of the Bendys.' William Bendy of Holbeach left two daughters his co-heirs: and another William Bendy, of King's Swinford, was Clerk of the Peace for the county, and died in 1684. William Bondi, of Bedfordshire, and Thomas Bundi, of Shropshire, occur in the Rotuli Hundredorum, c. 1272. Richard Bundy, in 1313, appears in Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs as 'manucaptor of John Pistor. ' " 5

They "have their principal homes in the west of England in Devon and Somerset, and in the east of England in Norfolk and Suffolk; they are also established in Lancashire and Staffordshire. Six centuries ago the name was still to be found in numbers in Norfolk and Suffolk, as well as in the neighbouring counties of Lincoln, Hunts, and Cambridge, and also in Oxfordshire, in the forms of Bond and Bonde." 6

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family were scattered throughout ancient Britain: Emma le Bonde in Huntingdonshire (1271); Robert le Bonde in Worcestershire; and Walter le Bond in Cambridgeshire. The same rolls also had an entry for the name as a forename in Norfolk: Bonde Brit. 7

Kirby's Quest of Somerset had two entries both "1 Edward III" (during the first year of King Edward III's reign): Robert le Bonde; and John le Bonnde. 8

Early History of the Bonds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonds research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1623, 1625, 1633, 1634, 1640, 1656, 1658, 1659, 1669, 1673, 1676, 1678, 1686, 1692, 1695, 1707, 1744, 1747, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bonds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonds Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Bond, Bonde, Bunde, Bundy and others.

Early Notables of the Bonds family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Denis Bond (died 1658), English politician from Dorset who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1656, supporter of the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War and served as president of the Council of State during the Commonwealth;John Bond LL.D. (1612-1676), an English jurist, Puritan clergyman, member of the Westminster Assembly, and Master of Trinity Hall; Cambridge Nathaniel Bond, KS, (1634-1707), of Creech Grange in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, an English lawyer...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bonds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonds Ranking

In the United States, the name Bonds is the 1,867th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 9

Ireland Migration of the Bonds family to Ireland

Some of the Bonds family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bonds migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bonds or a variant listed above:

Bonds Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nicholas Bonds, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 10
  • John Bonds, who landed in Maryland in 1665 10
Bonds Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Stewart Bonds, aged 15, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 10
  • James Bonds, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1862 10
  • Pedro Bonds, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1870 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Bonds (post 1700) +

  • Jeanne Milliken Bonds, American politician, the first American female Mayor of Knightdale, North Carolina
  • Anita Bonds (b. 1945), American Democratic politician
  • Alfred Bryan Bonds (1913-1989), American public servant, educator, and college administrator
  • Jeff Bonds (b. 1982), American professional basketball player
  • Son Bonds (1909-1947), American country blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
  • Bill Bonds, American television anchor and reporter
  • Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972), American composer and pianist
  • Gary U.S. Bonds (b. 1939), American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer
  • Bobby Lee Bonds (1946-2003), American Major League Baseball right fielder
  • Barry Lamar Bonds (b. 1964), American former Major League Baseball outfielder
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Bonds Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non Sufficit Orbis
Motto Translation: The world does not suffice.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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