Show ContentsBoner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Boner family

The surname Boner was first found in Herefordshire where Bonner is an ancient name. "As Boner and Bonere, it occurred in Oxfordshire and Huntingdonshire in the reign of Edward I." [1]

Early History of the Boner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boner research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1281, 1451, 1500, 1548, 1569 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Boner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boner Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Bonner, Boner, Bonners, Bonar, Bonnar, Bonare and many more.

Early Notables of the Boner family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edmund Bonner (c.1500-1569), Bishop of London, who became known as Bloody Bonner for his role in the persecution of heretics under the Catholic government of Mary I of England. He was later...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boner Ranking

In the United States, the name Boner is the 10,257th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Boner family to Ireland

Some of the Boner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Boner migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Boner or a variant listed above:

Boner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Caspar Boner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1740 [3]
  • Johann Dewald Boner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 [3]
  • Johannes Boner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 [3]
  • Hans Ulrich Boner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 [3]
  • Henry Boner, who landed in New Jersey in 1755 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Boner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Boner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 [3]
  • Johann Boner, aged 50, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 [3]
  • Moritz Boner, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [3]
  • Johann Peter Boner, who landed in America in 1854 [3]
  • Patrick Boner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Boner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Boner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Boner, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757

New Zealand Boner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Boner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Annie Boner, (b. 1859), aged 19, Irish general servant from Donegal departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Boner (post 1700) +

  • William H. Boner (1863-1925), American Washington state businessman and politician
  • John Henry Boner (1845-1903), American editor and poet from Salem, North Carolina
  • Gary L. Boner (1940-2005), American football player and head football coach for South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
  • Brian Boner (b. 1984), American politician and a Republican member of the Wyoming State Senate (2015-)
  • William "Bill" Boner (b. 1945), American politician, 3rd Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville (1987-1991)
  • Charles Boner (1815-1870), English travel writer, poet and translator, only son of Charles Boner, of Bath, Somerset
  • Seraina Boner (1982-2006), Swiss cross-country skier at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
  • David Boner (b. 1941), Scottish former footballer who played as a right winger
  • Alice Boner (1889-1981), Swiss painter and sculptor, art historian, and an Indologist
  • Ulrich Boner (1300-1349), Swiss writer of fables


The Boner 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: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.


  1. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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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