| ![Show Contents]() Bonifan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BonifanWhat does the name Bonifan mean? The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Bonifan. It was given to a person who was referred to as the bon enfant, and is equivalent to the English Goodchild. 1 2 "This name has been derived from Normandy, France, bel enfant, fine child." 3 Early Origins of the Bonifan familyThe surname Bonifan was first found in Oxfordshire, where William Bonenfant, Bonenfaud was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1207-1208. Later, Henry Bonefant was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire in 1279 and in Sussex, John Bon Effaunt was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. In London, early records there show Roger Bonyfaunt in 1472 and in Suffolk, Henry Bolyvaunt was registered in the SubsidyRolls for 1524. 1 The Writs of Parliament lists William Bonenfannt, or Bonaffaunt, 1302. Another source note the following in the Hundredorum Rolls: Walter Bonenfant, Cambridgeshire; Bonenfant Judaus, Cambridgeshire; Henry Bonefant, Buckinghamshire; and John Bonefaunt, Oxfordshire. 4 Early History of the Bonifan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonifan research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1207, 1279, 1332, 1349, 1369, 1472, 1524, 1540, 1631, 1637, 1674 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Bonifan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bonifan Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bonifan has appeared include Bonyfant, Bonifant, Bonenfant, Bonenfand, Bonefant, Bon Effaunt, Bonyfaunt, Bolyvaunt, Bonyvant and many more. Early Notables of the Bonifan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bonifan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bonifan familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bonifan arrived in North America very early: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
 |
