Show ContentsBonnici History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Bonnici 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 Bonnici family

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

Early History of the Bonnici family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonnici 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 Bonnici History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonnici Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Bonnici 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 Bonnici family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Bartolomeo Bono (c.1463-1529), a Lombard architect who worked in Venice and designed parts of the Piazza di San Marco; 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 Bishop of Vicenza; the Boni family of Florence produced 12 priests; Bartolomeo Bonino was Bishop of Sebenco from 1495 to 1512; members of the Bon family in Venice were castle owners during the 15th and 16th centuries; Giovanni Boni...
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bonnici Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bonnici family

Early records show that people bearing the name Bonnici arrived in North America quite early: Anna Boni, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1767; Maria Bono, age 33, who arrived in America on Aug. 19, 1881, aboard the "Amerique".


Contemporary Notables of the name Bonnici (post 1700) +

  • Carmelo "Carm" Mifsud Bonnici (b. 1960), Maltese politician who has served in a number of Ministerial posts in the Government of Malta
  • Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici KUOM (1933-2022), Maltese politician, 9th Prime Minister of Malta (1984-1987), 5th Leader of the Malta Labour Party (1984-1992)
  • Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici (1930-2019), Maltese magistrate and philosopher, Chief Justice of Malta between 1990 and 1995
  • Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (b. 1960), the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Malta
  • Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici (b. 1932), the fifth President of Malta from 1994 to 1999
  • Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (b. 1933), Maltese politician, Prime Minister of Malta from 1984 to 1987

Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. Paul  Bonnici (1896-1917), Canadian Horseman aboard the SS Curaca from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 1
HMS Cornwall
  • Carmelo Bonnici (d. 1942), British Petty Officer Steward aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 2


  1. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  2. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A


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