BONNELL

Bonnell is a surname of French origin, as many records indicate that it was introduced into England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname is thought to derive from the Old French word bon, meaning “good” or “kind,” and was originally used either as an occupational name or as a nickname for a person who was noted for good character. In some cases the name was transformed from the French personal name Bonel, the suffix -el or -ell often indicating a diminutive or “little” form.

During the Middle Ages a second, distinct source for the surname appears in the English records. There the name is connected to the locational name Bonehill, a place in Staffordshire recorded as “Bolenhull” and “Bulenhull” in the 1230 Pipe Rolls. The place name is itself derived from the Old English personal name bula, meaning “bull” or “bullock,” combined with hyll, meaning “hill”; together they denote “Bula’s hill” or “hill of the bullock.” Families who moved away from their village often adopted their former place name as a surname, which explains the wide dispersal of the name and its evolution into variants such as Bonehill, Bonhill, Bonell, Bonnell, Bunhill, Bunnell and Bonelle.

The earliest surviving Welsh record of a person bearing the name is that of Richard Bonnell, christened on 12 February 1556 at St. Peter Cornhill, London, during the reign of Queen Mary. Earlier church registers from London document the christening of Fortune Bunhill in 1588 at St. Giles' Cripplegate and the marriage of Alexander Bonelle and Jane Curtis in 1838 at St. Dunstan’s, Stepney. These records demonstrate both the spelling variation that existed at the time and the continued use of the name in the capital.

A coat of arms traditionally associated with the Bonnell family features a blue shield with a blue lion rampant, armed red, and a gold annulet placed on the breast. The shield is marked semée with blue crosses crosslet. This heraldic device, while not provably used by every bearer of the surname, is frequently cited in contemporary genealogical works as the arms of the Bonnell line.

In the present day the surname is relatively uncommon. It can still be found in England and France and, to a lesser extent, in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Within the United Kingdom it is most often recorded in the Southern counties and in former port towns, reflecting the early migration of holders of the name. In the United States the name appears more frequently than in many other countries, though it remains less common than many other Anglo‑Saxon and Norman surnames.

Below is a list of recognised variations of the surname, which arise from linguistic shifts and regional spelling differences: Bonnell, Bonnel, Bonelle, Bonell, Bunel, Bunnell, Bunhill and Bonello. While Bonello is geographically Italian and sometimes the subject of confusion, the majority of the variants listed above share the same French or Anglo‑Saxon etymological roots and carry the original meaning of a person of good character or a lineage tied to a particular geographic feature.

Typical given names associated with the Bonnell surname

Male

• Andrew
• David
• James
• John
• Matthew
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Philip
• Steven
• William

Female

• Beatrix
• Claire
• Hannah
• Hayley
• Jennifer
• Joan
• Lisa
• Margaret
• Mary
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan
• Tracey

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Bonnell in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

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