Bonet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Italy

The name Bonet has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for a handsome person, especially one who is large or well built. The name comes from the Norman word bonnie, a common nickname for an attractive person. This word possibly derives from the Old French bon, which means good or fine, although the movement is not clear. 1

Early Origins of the Bonet family

The surname Bonet was first found in Bedfordshire and Leicestershire, where they had been granted lands by King William. They were originally seated in St. Bonnet in Normandy in the arrondisement of Calvados.

"The knight of this name who accompanied Duke William from Normandy, received for his services the lordship of Penclawdd, in Gower. "Bonet or Benet, was one of such persons, as after the battle were advanced to Seigneuries in this land, Glamorgan." A descendant of the Norman, Bonet, Robert Benet, who, married Avis, daughter and heir of John Crompe, of Sanctuary, in Gower, and great grand-daughter, maternally, of Caradoc ap Ynir ap Ivor, Lord of Dyfed, is supposed to have been the "Robert Benote" whose name appears amongst the Lances attendant on the Duke of Gloucester at Azincourt. 2

Henry Bonet was Warden of St Mary's College, Ottery St Mary, Devon in 1349.

Early History of the Bonet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonet research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1688, 1702, 1718 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Bonet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonet Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Bonet were recorded, including Bonnett, Bonney, Bonnet, Bonny, Bonnie and others.

Early Notables of the Bonet family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Bonney, Archdeacon of Bedford; and Stede Bonnet (c. 1688-1718), English pirate born in the Barbados, sometimes called "The Gentleman Pirate" who frequently pirated with the infamous Edward Teach, better known as "Blackbeard." According to Forbes, he is ranked as the fifteenth wealthiest pirate with...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bonet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonet Ranking

In the United States, the name Bonet is the 15,910^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Bonet is ranked the 3,985^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 4

Bonet migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Bonet arrived in North America very early:

Bonet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jaques Bonet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 5
Hans Michael Bonet, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 5

Bonet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Bonet, who arrived in New Orleans in 1826
Thomas Bonet, aged 23, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1826 5
G Bonet, who arrived in North America in 1832 5
Antonio Bonet, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 5
Francisco Bonet, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1891 5

Bonet migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Antoine Bonet, son of François and Françoise, who married Angélique Métivier, daughter of Jean and Geneviève, in Quebec on 24th November 1732 6
Charles Bonet, son of Augustin and Pétronille, who married Marie-Anne LeBreton, daughter of Henri and Marie-Anne, in Montreal, Quebec on 13th June 1757 6
Jean Bonet, son of Jean and Marie, who married Marguerite Boyer, daughter of Charles and Marguerite, in Montreal, Quebec on 4th October 1694 6
Jean Bonet, son of Jean and Élisabeth, who married Marie-Josephte Grenet, daughter of Jean and Marie-Hélène, in Quebec on 22nd November 1723 6
Jean-Baptiste Bonet, son of Jean and Maie-Josephte, who married Geneviève Maillou, daughter of Jean and Geneviève, in Beauport, Quebec on 15th February 1751 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bonet (post 1700) +

Lisa Bonet (b. 1967), Emmy Award-nominated American actress
Robert Bonet (b. 1952), English BBC television journalist
Jean Pierre François Bonet, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 7
Carlos Carmona Bonet (b. 1987), Spanish footballer
Juan Pablo Bonet (1573-1633), circa, a Spanish priest
Jordi Bonet (1932-1979), Canadian painter
Carlos Bonet Carmona (b. 1987), Spanish footballer

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Jean Bonet. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html