Explore the Family Name Bonney

The meaning of Bonney

1. English (Lancashire): nickname for a handsome person, especially a large or well-built one, from northern dialect bonnie ‘fine, beautiful’ (still in common use in northern England and Scotland). 2. English: variant of Bunney. 3. German: variant of Boney. This surname is very rare in Germany. 4. French: variant of Bonnet 1.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bonney in the United States?

The surname Bonney has seen a slight dip in popularity between the 2000 and 2010 Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, Bonney ranked 6,994 in popularity with 4,419 occurrences, accounting for approximately 1.64 per 100,000 people. By 2010, the rank had fallen to 7,413, even though the count of people with this surname increased marginally to 4,491. This increase in count did not keep pace with the overall population growth, resulting in a proportion change of -7.32.

20002010Change
Rank#6,994#7,413-5.99%
Count4,4194,4911.63%
Proportion per 100k1.641.52-7.32%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bonney

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Bonney, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data from 2000 and 2010, we see some shifts. The largest group identified themselves as White, although the percentage fell slightly from 80.81% in 2000 to 78.67% in 2010. There was also a slight increase in those identifying as Black, up from 10.73% in 2000 to 11.09% in 2010. The most significant changes occurred in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races categories, which increased by 28.81% and 40.79% respectively. The Hispanic representation also increased from 4.93% in 2000 to 6.19% in 2010. However, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw an 18.88% decrease over the decade.

20002010Change
White80.81%78.67%-2.65%
Black10.73%11.09%3.36%
Hispanic4.93%6.19%25.56%
Two or More Races1.52%2.14%40.79%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.43%1.16%-18.88%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.59%0.76%28.81%

Bonney ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bonney is British & Irish, which comprises 51.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.1%) and Scandinavian (3.1%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Eastern European, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish51.0%
French & German23.1%
Scandinavian3.1%
Other22.8%
Bonney

Possible origins of the surname Bonney

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bonney have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom80.30%
Greater London, United Kingdom80.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom80.30%
Merseyside, United Kingdom80.30%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom80.30%

What Bonney haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bonney is R-P297, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P297 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and IJ-M429, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Colin, Hileman, Rapp, Link, Fisher, Voelker, Hermann, Behr, Narayan, Nardi.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bonney surname are: N, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

bonneyPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bonney have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bonney

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bonney" Surname 40.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bonney

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bonney" Surname 31.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bonney

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bonney" Surname 14.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bonney

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bonney" Surname 19.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bonney?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bonney are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%