Show ContentsBoni History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Boni was created from the personal name Bona, which is derived from the Latin name Bonus, which means "good." The popularity of the personal name Bonus, was in part due to the name being borne by a 3rd-century Christian saint, martyred at Rome.

Early Origins of the Boni family

The surname Boni was first found in the city of Milan, where earliest records are of the Bonacina family in 1220.

Early History of the Boni family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boni research. The years 1350, 1463, 1495, 1512, 1529, 1565, 1654, 1669, 1688, 1698, 1710, 1736, 1738, 1739, 1762, 1766, 1774, 1781, 1788 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Boni History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boni Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Boni. These spelling variations include Boni, Bono, Bona, Bon, Buono, De Boni, De Bonis, De Bono, De Buono, Del Bono, Della Bona, Del Buono, Di Bono, Lo Bono, Lobono, Lo Buono, Bonelli, Bonello, Boniello, Bonetti, Bonetto, Bonet, Bonini, Bonino, Bonin, Bonucci, Bonuccelli, Bonioli, Boniolo, Bonotti, Boniotti, Boniotto, Bononi, Bonon, Bonacci, Bonaccio, Bonaccini, Bonazzi, Bonazza, Bonassi, Bonassini, Bonassin, Bonassili, Bonaca, Bonaga, Bonaghi, Bonaldi, Bonaldo, Bonaudo, Bonani, Bonandi, Bonardi, Bonati, Bonato, Bonatti, Boneri, Boneschi, Bonacina, Bonico, Bonici, Bonichi, Bonicelli, Bonicco, Bonito, Bonutti and many more.

Early Notables of the Boni family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

  • Giacomo Boni (1688-1766), Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, who worked mostly in Genoa. Egidio Boni, born in Cortona in 1350, dedicated his life to the church and eventually became the Bisho...
  • the Boni family of Florence produced 12 priests
  • Bartolomeo Bonino was Bishop of Sebenco from 1495 to 1512
  • Giovanni Boni was a count and nobleman in Rome in 1565
  • Andrea Boni was a Florentine banker in the 16th century. Giovanni Bona of Genoa, was made Cardinal in 1669
  • Giacomo Antonio Boni was a famous painter in Bologna around 1688
  • Pietro Giuseppe Gaetano Boni of Bologna was an ecclesiastic and talented musician in the 17th century
  • Mauro Boni was a distinguished citizen in Bergamo in the 18th century
  • Giacomo Boni was a prominent architect in Venice in 1859. Giovanni Bonazza,(1654-1736) was a prominent sculptor active in Padua

Boni Ranking

In France, the name Boni is the 4,974th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. [1]


United States Boni migration to the United States +

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Boni:

Boni Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anne Boni, who arrived in Maryland in 1681 [2]
Boni Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andreas Boni, who arrived in America in 1726 [2]
  • Joggi Boni, who arrived in America in 1736 [2]
  • Simon Boni, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 [2]
  • Hans Michael Boni, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 [2]
  • Anna Boni, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1767
Boni Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michele Boni, age 21, who arrived in New York on May 21, 1883, aboard the "Assyria"
  • Hein Boni, age 35, who arrived in America on Dec. 1, 1884, aboard the "Servia"
  • Carlo Boni, age 35, who arrived in America on March 11, 1885, aboard the "Labrador"
  • Ernestine Boni, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1864 [2]


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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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