NameCensus.

UK surname

Bonnick

A surname of English origin, likely derived from a place name containing "bon" meaning "good".

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Bonnick surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 395, ranked #11,991, up from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Flamstead, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Watford and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bonnick is 423 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 133.7%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

395

2016, ranked #11,991

Peak year

2010

423 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bonnick had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016, ranked #11,991.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Bonnick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bonnick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bonnick 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 131 #14,243
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 269 #12,300
1997 modern 379 #11,447
1998 modern 385 #11,698
1999 modern 377 #11,954
2000 modern 402 #11,357
2001 modern 385 #11,534
2002 modern 385 #11,771
2003 modern 389 #11,490
2004 modern 391 #11,468
2005 modern 389 #11,423
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 396 #11,459
2008 modern 398 #11,525
2009 modern 413 #11,436
2010 modern 423 #11,470
2011 modern 413 #11,560
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 405 #11,813
2014 modern 407 #11,848
2015 modern 399 #11,928
2016 modern 395 #11,991

Geography

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Where Bonnicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Flamstead, London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Watford, Brent, Colchester and Bristol. 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 Flamstead Hertfordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 013 Lancaster
2 Watford 004 Watford
3 Brent 021 Brent
4 Colchester 020 Colchester
5 Bristol 025 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bonnick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bonnick

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Bonnick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Bonnick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bonnick is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bonnick 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

Bonnick falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bonnick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bonnick

The surname Bonnick is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, particularly in the area around the village of Bunnick. The name is derived from the Old English words "bun" meaning a boundary and "wic" meaning a dwelling or village, thus Bunnick essentially meant "the dwelling by the boundary."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonnick appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in the village of Bunnick, where a John Bonnick was christened in 1592. The name is also found in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines from 1612, which were legal documents recording land transactions, suggesting that the family had some landholdings in the area at that time.

In the late 17th century, the name began to spread beyond Yorkshire as some members of the Bonnick family migrated to other parts of England. For example, a Richard Bonnick was born in the city of Bristol in 1679, indicating that the name had taken root in the southwest region of the country.

During the 18th century, the Bonnick surname appears in various historical records across England. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Bonnick (1712-1788), a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Gloucestershire. Another prominent individual was Elizabeth Bonnick (1732-1805), a noted philanthropist and patron of the arts from the city of Bath.

As the British Empire expanded in the 19th century, some members of the Bonnick family ventured overseas. For instance, James Bonnick (1798-1872) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later settled in Australia after his retirement.

Another notable bearer of the Bonnick surname was Charles Bonnick (1856-1934), a British journalist and author who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the West Indies, where he spent much of his life.

Throughout its history, the Bonnick name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bonick, Bunnick, and Bunick, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping over the centuries.

While the Bonnick surname may not be among the most common in Britain today, it has a rich and varied history that spans several centuries and reflects the diverse experiences of those who have borne this name across different regions and walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bonnick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bonnick 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 71 Bonnicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.31x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 71 4.31x
Kent 22 3.91x
Hertfordshire 21 18.48x
Warwickshire 20 4.81x
Buckinghamshire 9 9.03x
Bedfordshire 7 8.20x
Surrey 6 0.75x
Essex 4 1.23x
Sussex 4 1.44x
Norfolk 2 0.79x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.96x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Shropshire 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Flamstead in Hertfordshire leads with 21 Bonnicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2000.00x.

Place Total Index
Flamstead 21 2000.00x
Coventry St Michael 20 149.81x
Islington London 14 8.76x
Mile End Old Town London 14 39.90x
Kensington London 13 14.18x
Aylesbury 9 203.62x
Dartford 9 156.52x
St Pancras London 9 6.78x
Acton 8 82.82x
Luton 7 47.36x
Fulham London 6 25.09x
Rochester St Nicholas 6 342.86x
Battersea 3 4.95x
Lewes St Michael 3 545.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 9.04x
Chigwell 2 65.15x
Hackney London 2 2.16x
Horsham St Faith 2 476.19x
Lewisham 2 6.67x
Shoreditch London 2 2.80x
Chelsea London 1 2.01x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.31x
Hampstead London 1 3.90x
Hastings St Mary 1 14.45x
Hawkhurst 1 57.14x
Isleworth 1 13.64x
Low Leyton 1 344.83x
Maidstone 1 5.97x
Manchester 1 1.14x
New Romney 1 172.41x
Romford 1 19.46x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 20.00x
St Andrewthe Less 1 8.38x
Strood 1 31.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Caroline 5
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Creasy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
H. 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bonnick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bonnick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Bonnick surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bonnick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016. That gives Bonnick a modern rank of #11,991.

What does the Bonnick surname mean?

A surname of English origin, likely derived from a place name containing "bon" meaning "good".

What does the Bonnick map show?

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