NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonnet

A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of bonnets, caps, or hats.

In the 1881 census there were 151 people recorded with the Bonnet surname, ranking it #15,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, down from #15,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Wickhambrook and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Suffolk Coastal and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonnet is 314 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

151

Ranked #15,419

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

1861

314 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonnet had 151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 314 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Bonnet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bonnet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonnet 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 314 #8,088
1881 historical 151 #15,419
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 119 #20,624
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 183 #19,354
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 169 #20,562
2008 modern 176 #20,224
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 215 #18,764
2015 modern 217 #18,542
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Bonnets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Wickhambrook, London parishes, Watford and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Suffolk Coastal, Bristol and South Hams. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Wickhambrook Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Watford Hertfordshire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 004 Wealden
2 Suffolk Coastal 014 Suffolk Coastal
3 Suffolk Coastal 015 Suffolk Coastal
4 Bristol 032 Bristol, City of
5 South Hams 012 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonnet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonnet

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bonnet, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Bonnet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Bonnet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bonnet is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bonnet is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bonnet falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bonnet 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Bonnet

The surname Bonnet originated in France and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bonet," which referred to a type of headwear worn during that time period. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who wore a distinctive bonnet or cap.

The earliest recorded instances of the Bonnet surname can be found in various medieval records and documents from regions such as Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. One notable example is Roger Bonnet, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the leadership of King Richard I of England.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the records of the Hundred Rolls, which were census-like surveys conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. These records mention individuals such as Radulphus Bonnet and Willelmus Bonnet, both residing in the county of Oxfordshire.

The Bonnet surname also has connections to various place names in France, such as Bonnétable, a commune in the department of Sarthe. This place name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "bonitas," meaning "goodness" or "excellence," and may have influenced the surname's spelling variations over time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Bonnet surname. One such figure was Pierre Bonnet (1638-1703), a French Protestant theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Calvinism and natural theology.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Georges-Étienne Bonnet (1720-1805), a Swiss naturalist and philosopher who made important discoveries in the field of entomology and wrote extensively on topics such as the reproduction of aphids.

In the realm of literature, Charles Bonnet (1720-1793), a Swiss philosopher and naturalist, is renowned for his work on the theory of evolution and his contributions to the study of parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) in insects.

During the French Revolution, the Bonnet family played a significant role, with Jean-Baptiste Bonnet (1758-1834) serving as a member of the National Convention and later becoming a member of the Council of Ancients.

In the 19th century, Édouard Bonnet (1809-1875) was a French jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction under the Second French Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bonnet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonnet 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. Middlesex leads with 37 Bonnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 37 2.43x
Lincolnshire 25 10.28x
Kent 17 3.27x
Suffolk 17 9.17x
Hertfordshire 11 10.49x
Cheshire 6 1.79x
Lancashire 6 0.33x
Surrey 6 0.81x
Channel Islands 5 11.09x
Essex 4 1.33x
Yorkshire 4 0.27x
Sussex 3 1.17x
Angus 2 1.42x
Ayrshire 1 0.88x
Bedfordshire 1 1.27x
Brecknockshire 1 3.29x
Dorset 1 1.00x
Flintshire 1 2.44x
Gloucestershire 1 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.32x
Leicestershire 1 0.59x
Merionethshire 1 3.59x
Midlothian 1 0.49x
Norfolk 1 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.49x
Wiltshire 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Watford in Hertfordshire leads with 9 Bonnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 110.70x.

Place Total Index
Watford 9 110.70x
Wickhambrook 9 1285.71x
Sittingbourne 7 170.73x
Woolwich 7 36.50x
Halton Holegate 6 2307.69x
Newton By Tattenhall 6 10000.00x
St Pancras London 6 4.90x
Ealing 5 36.76x
Grouville 5 396.83x
Lambeth 5 3.77x
Mildenhall 5 253.81x
Shoreditch London 5 7.58x
Sibsey 4 727.27x
St Swithin Lincoln 4 104.44x
Central Wingland 3 2500.00x
Clerkenwell London 3 8.35x
Frieston 3 517.24x
Hackney London 3 3.52x
Paddington London 3 5.36x
Wardleworth 3 29.07x
West Ham 3 4.52x
Caputh 2 10000.00x
Gravesend 2 45.45x
Helpringham 2 408.16x
Holy Trinity 2 5.51x
Islington London 2 1.36x
Rickmansworth 2 69.20x
South Bersted 2 91.74x
St Anne Soho London 2 23.02x
St Luke London 2 8.19x
Whitechapel London 2 13.33x
Acton 1 11.21x
Ampton 1 2000.00x
Ayr 1 18.59x
Baumber 1 555.56x
Benniworth 1 500.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.51x
Brecknock St John 1 38.91x
Bridlington 1 28.99x
Brightside Bierlow 1 3.38x
Chatham 1 7.00x
Clifton 1 6.63x
Dallinghoo 1 625.00x
East Retford 1 56.18x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 23.64x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 18.28x
Heston 1 19.80x
Holdenhurst 1 12.22x
Inskip With Sowerby 1 357.14x
Langford 1 153.85x
Liverpool 1 0.91x
Marham 1 256.41x
Mold 1 26.95x
Nettleton 1 400.00x
Newmarket St Mary 1 70.42x
Southwark St Saviour 1 12.79x
St Sepulchre London 1 44.84x
Swindon 1 9.58x
Towyn 1 57.14x
Walthamstow 1 9.25x
Warmwell 1 1111.11x
West Derby 1 1.89x
Whitwick 1 46.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 5
Mary 5
Sarah 5
Maria 4
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Amy 2
Augustine 2
Marie 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Blanch 1
Clara 1
Elenor 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ernestine 1
Eugenie 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Georgeana 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Jeanne 1
Johanna 1
Johnnette 1
Kahnka 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lucie 1
Lucy 1
Malvina 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Miraim 1
Niami 1
Rhoda 1
Rosina 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Thirese 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
Charles 6
Thomas 6
William 6
George 4
Louis 4
Robert 4
Richard 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
James 2
Stephen 2
Adolph 1
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Eugene 1
Ezekial 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Leonhard 1
Lewis 1
Meathuria 1
Peter 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Bonnet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonnet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 151 people were recorded with the Bonnet surname. That placed it at #15,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonnet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Bonnet a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Bonnet surname mean?

A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of bonnets, caps, or hats.

What does the Bonnet map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bonnet 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.