NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonell

A surname derived from the French word "bonne" meaning "good," possibly originally referring to a person of good character.

In the 1881 census there were 230 people recorded with the Bonell surname, ranking it #11,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 239, ranked #17,322, down from #11,748 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Warwick St Nicholas and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Tewkesbury and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonell is 362 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.9%.

1881 census count

230

Ranked #11,748

Modern count

239

2016, ranked #17,322

Peak year

1911

362 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonell had 230 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,748 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016, ranked #17,322.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 362 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bonell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bonell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bonell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 137 #13,812
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 230 #11,748
1891 historical 316 #10,639
1901 historical 326 #10,990
1911 historical 362 #10,020
1997 modern 241 #15,638
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 259 #15,433
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 247 #15,637
2002 modern 259 #15,453
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 247 #15,763
2006 modern 243 #16,052
2007 modern 242 #16,296
2008 modern 245 #16,295
2009 modern 250 #16,421
2010 modern 257 #16,476
2011 modern 261 #16,145
2012 modern 251 #16,467
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 255 #16,682
2015 modern 246 #16,994
2016 modern 239 #17,322

Geography

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Where Bonells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Warwick St Nicholas, London parishes, Bradford and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Tewkesbury, Wealden, South Staffordshire and Greenwich. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Warwick St Nicholas Warwickshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
2 Tewkesbury 006 Tewkesbury
3 Wealden 021 Wealden
4 South Staffordshire 011 South Staffordshire
5 Greenwich 023 Greenwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bonell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bonell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bonell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bonell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bonell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bonell is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bonell falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bonell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bonell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bonell

The surname Bonell has its origins in medieval France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bonel," which translates to "good" or "pleasant." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a cheerful or amiable demeanor.

In its earliest form, the name was often spelled as "Bonel" or "Bonelle," reflecting the regional variations in language and pronunciation. As the name spread across different regions of France, it underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation, leading to the emergence of the modern form "Bonell."

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Cartulaire de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a collection of medieval charters and records from the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille, which dates back to the late 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Petrus Bonelli," suggesting that the name was already in use during that time period.

As the name gained prominence, it began to appear in various historical records and manuscripts. For instance, the Armorial de Rietstap, a renowned compendium of European heraldry, includes an entry for the Bonell family from the French region of Languedoc, indicating their noble status and coat of arms.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Bonell throughout history, one can mention:

1. Jean Bonell (c. 1470-1542), a French Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the early days of the Reformation. 2. Etienne Bonell (1613-1684), a French mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the development of celestial mechanics. 3. Marie-Anne Bonell (1725-1795), a French painter and engraver known for her portraiture and genre scenes, who was elected to the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1770. 4. Pierre Bonell (1778-1847), a French general who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and played a crucial role in several campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars. 5. Henri Bonell (1856-1932), a French explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to Central and South America, making significant contributions to the study of indigenous cultures and natural history.

The name Bonell can also be found in various place names across France, such as the commune of Bonelle in the department of Aveyron, further attesting to its historical presence and significance in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bonell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 60 Bonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.17x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 60 8.17x
Warwickshire 49 8.93x
Worcestershire 31 10.91x
Yorkshire 24 1.11x
Surrey 17 1.60x
Middlesex 16 0.74x
Shropshire 10 5.32x
Cheshire 9 1.87x
Oxfordshire 3 2.23x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.27x
Wiltshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warwick St Nicholas in Warwickshire leads with 15 Bonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 373.13x.

Place Total Index
Warwick St Nicholas 15 373.13x
Aston 14 9.27x
Lichfield St Michael 12 521.74x
Abberley 11 2444.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 14.13x
Birmingham 10 5.47x
Audlem 9 796.46x
Lichfield St Mary 9 424.53x
Stratford On Avon 9 296.05x
St George Bloomsbury 8 64.10x
Alvechurch 7 578.51x
West Bromwich 7 16.65x
Bramley In Bramley 6 72.73x
Mitcham 6 89.55x
Drayton In Hales 5 129.20x
Kinver 5 235.85x
Rushall 5 115.74x
Southwark St Saviour 5 44.72x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 81.04x
Battersea 4 5.00x
Brightside Bierlow 4 9.46x
Handsworth 4 22.10x
Kidderminster Borough 4 24.05x
Leeds 4 3.29x
Lichfield St Chad 4 242.42x
Redditch 4 69.44x
Kings Norton 3 11.78x
Oxford St Ebbe 3 75.95x
Sawdon 3 2500.00x
Shrewsbury St Julian 3 64.52x
Barnes 2 44.64x
Hodnet 2 136.05x
Islington London 2 0.95x
Kirkdale 2 4.61x
Longdon 2 196.08x
Paddington London 2 2.50x
Bow London 1 3.61x
Chiswick 1 8.41x
Claines 1 12.82x
Kensington London 1 0.83x
Mountfield 1 217.39x
Sculcoates 1 2.93x
Shenstone 1 53.48x
St Marylebone London 1 0.86x
Stourbridge 1 13.68x
Swindon 1 6.70x
Wellesbourne Hastings 1 192.31x
Womersley 1 344.83x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bonell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bonell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 16
William 14
Thomas 8
Alfred 7
James 6
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Charles 4
George 4
Robert 4
Edwin 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Benjn.Harry 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Elias 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
Jno. 1
Jonah 1
Levi 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Segmour 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Willm 1

FAQ

Bonell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 230 people were recorded with the Bonell surname. That placed it at #11,748 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016. That gives Bonell a modern rank of #17,322.

What does the Bonell surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word "bonne" meaning "good," possibly originally referring to a person of good character.

What does the Bonell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bonell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.