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Bonnet History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Bonnet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

The name Bonnet evolved in ancient Germany in the state of Bavaria. It is a patronymic name. Patronymics are derived from the given name of the father of the bearer. Names derived from the name of the mother of the bearer, which are less common, are called metronymic names. Patronymic names were generally formed from traditional, German given names, rather than the names of saints or biblical figures, as is the custom in many other European cultures. Bonnet comes from the Latin personal name Bonitus, a derivative of the word bonus, which means good. The name was originally a French occupational name for a milliner, or a nickname for a wearer of unusual headgear, derived from the Old French word bonnet, which means bonnet or hat. However, the name spread to Bavaria during the 16th and 17th centuries, a period of widespread European migration. The Bonnet family emerged as a noble family in Bavaria and it had numerous distinguished branches. Furthermore, the Bonnet family become noted for its involvement in the social, economic and political development of the region.

Early Origins of the Bonnet family

The surname Bonnet was first found in Bavaria, where the name Bonnet was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society of early European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Bonnet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonnet research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1720, 1743, 1754 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Bonnet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonnet Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Bonnet include Bonnet, Bonnett, Bonett, Bonnette, Bonette and many more.

Early Notables of the Bonnet family

Prominent among members of the name Bonnet in this period include

Charles Bonnet (1720-1793), Swiss naturalist and philosophical writer...
With his eyesight failing, Bonnet turned his attention to philosophy and speculations on physical science...

Bonnet Ranking

In the United States, the name Bonnet is the 18,796^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Bonnet is ranked the 28^th most popular surname with an estimated 50,999 people with that name. 2

Bonnet migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Bonnet surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Bonnet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Bonnet with his wife Jeane settled in New York State in 1700
Daniel Bonnet, who landed in New York in 1700 3
Claude Bonnet who settled in Louisiana, and Daniel Bonnet and his wife Jeanne Couturier who arrived in New York State in 1700-1701
Daniel Bonnet, who settled in New York in 1715
Estienne Bonnet, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bonnet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Bonnet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
John Bonnet, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Joseph Bonnet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Katharine Bonnet, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Thomas Bonnet, aged 23, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1826 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bonnet migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bonnet Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Pierre Bonnet, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 6th April 1643 4
Mr. Louis Bonnet, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 1st April 1665 4
Mélanie Bonnet, daughter of Jean and Jeanne Antigny, married Marie Buisson in Québec in 1671

Bonnet Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Bonnet, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1817

Contemporary Notables of the name Bonnet (post 1700) +

Guy Bonnet (1945-2024), French author, composer and singer
Major-General Peter Robert Frank Bonnet CB, MBE (b. 1936), British Army officer, commanding officer of 26 Field Regiment Royal Artillery in 1978
Catherine Bonnet (1965-2023), French professional tennis player at the 1988 Aix-en-Provence Open
Renée Pietrafesa Bonnet (1938-2022), French and Uruguayan composer, pianist, organist, harpsichordist and conductor, born in Montevideo, Uruguay
Georges Bonnet (1919-2021), French writer and poet
Camille Bonnet (1918-2020), French rugby union player who won the 1944–45 French Rugby Union Championship
Christian Bonnet (1921-2020), French politician, Member of the French National Assembly for Morbihan (1956-1958)
Nelly Beatriz Bonnet (1930-2020), Argentine film and television actress and comedian
Manuel José Bonnet Locarno (1936-2018), Colombian military officer, Commander of the National Army of Colombia between December 1996 and July 1997
Gaspard Adrien Bonnet du Louvat de Champollon, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 5
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 12) Gaspard Bonnet. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html