| ![Show Contents]() Bonifase History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BonifaseWhat does the name Bonifase mean? The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Bonifase family have grown. The name Bonifase was given to a member of the family who was a lucky person. The surname Bonifase is derived from the Latin word bonifatius, which comes from the word bonum, which means good, and the word fatum, which means fate. Contrary to popular belief, the surname is not a derivative of bonifacius, which means well-doer. An English monk and missionary of this name was martyred in Germany in the mid-8th century, and subsequently was canonized as Saint Boniface. He lived from (680-755) and whose original name was Winfrid or Winfrith, born at Kirton, or Crediton, in Devonshire. 1 Also, Pope Boniface VIII had several clashes with King Edward I of England over the taxation of the clergy. Early Origins of the Bonifase familyThe surname Bonifase was first found in Sussex, where "Boniface is an old Sussex name that has characterized the county since the 15th century." 2 Boniface of Savoy (d. 1270), was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the eleventh child of Thomas I, Ccount of Savoy. "The date of his birth is uncertain; but in his early youth he was destined for an ecclesiastical career. The numerous stock of the house of Savoy had to be provided for, and Boniface seems to have accepted a clerical life as a means of political advancement. " 1 "Boniface of Savoy, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1270), would give an English impetus to this name, just at the time when surnames were becoming hereditary. " 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed early spellings in various counties: Archibald Boneface, Kent; Ernald Boneface, Oxfordshire; and Bonifacius le Clerc, Lincolnshire. 3 Kirby's Quest had two early entries too: "Robert Boneface and B. Boniface atte Poule, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) " 4 Early History of the Bonifase familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonifase research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1200, 1273, 1456 and 1543 are included under the topic Early Bonifase History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bonifase Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bonifase family name include Bonyface, Boniface, Bonieface, Bonifase, Boneface and others. Early Notables of the Bonifase familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bonifase Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bonifase familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bonifase surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Richard Boniface, who arrived in Maryland in 1775.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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