UK surname
Derived from the French word meaning "thin" or "slender" physique.
In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Bony surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 34, ranked #35,768, down from #30,872 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Sodbury, Old, Poulton and St Mary Church. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bony is 118 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.9%.
1881 census count
19
Ranked #30,872
Modern count
34
2016, ranked #35,768
Peak year
1861
118 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Bony surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Bony surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 28 | #28,274 |
| 1861 | historical | 118 | #18,512 |
| 1881 | historical | 19 | #30,872 |
| 1891 | historical | 19 | #32,642 |
| 1901 | historical | 28 | #30,951 |
| 1911 | historical | 2 | #34,020 |
| 1997 | modern | 19 | #35,928 |
| 1998 | modern | 21 | #35,788 |
| 1999 | modern | 22 | #35,725 |
| 2000 | modern | 12 | #36,749 |
| 2001 | modern | 17 | #36,053 |
| 2002 | modern | 25 | #35,428 |
| 2003 | modern | 28 | #35,200 |
| 2004 | modern | 23 | #35,786 |
| 2005 | modern | 17 | #36,407 |
| 2006 | modern | 19 | #36,323 |
| 2007 | modern | 20 | #36,362 |
| 2008 | modern | 18 | #36,607 |
| 2009 | modern | 20 | #36,534 |
| 2010 | modern | 25 | #36,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 24 | #36,306 |
| 2012 | modern | 31 | #35,876 |
| 2013 | modern | 35 | #35,697 |
| 2014 | modern | 33 | #35,843 |
| 2015 | modern | 32 | #35,876 |
| 2016 | modern | 34 | #35,768 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Sodbury, Old, Poulton, St Mary Church, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace and Aysgarth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sodbury, Old | Gloucestershire |
| 2 | Poulton | Lancashire |
| 3 | St Mary Church | Devon |
| 4 | St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace | London (West Districts) |
| 5 | Aysgarth | Yorkshire, North Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Bony surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bony, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Bony surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Bony household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Bony is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bony is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Bony, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname BONY originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French adjective "bon," meaning good or pleasing. This name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a good or pleasant demeanor.
Records show that the name BONY first appeared in the 12th century. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Normandy from 1180, which mention a Willelmus Boni. The Testa de Nevill, an English census compiled in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, also includes entries for individuals with the name BONY.
In the 13th century, the name BONY can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census of landowners in England. This suggests that bearers of this surname had established themselves in England by this time, likely as a result of the Norman Conquest.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name BONY. However, it does include listings of various places with names derived from the Old French word "bon," such as Bonneville and Bonchurch, indicating the presence of the root word in Norman-influenced regions.
One notable historical figure with the surname BONY was John Bony (c. 1455 - 1523), an English composer and choir director who served at the Chapel Royal under King Henry VII and King Henry VIII. Another individual of note was Pierre Bony (1615 - 1662), a French mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the development of calculus.
In the 18th century, we find Jacques Bony (1708 - 1786), a French engraver and printmaker known for his intricate etchings and engravings of architectural subjects. A century later, Louis Bony (1834 - 1899) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Église Saint-Augustin and the École des Mines.
Lastly, a more recent figure was Maurice Bony (1913 - 1987), a French mathematician who made important contributions to the field of partial differential equations and was awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Mathematics in 1987.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bony surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Bonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.94x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 11 | 5.94x |
| Essex | 3 | 8.21x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 5.51x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.46x |
| Surrey | 1 | 1.11x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.54x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Ham in Essex leads with 3 Bonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 441.18x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| East Ham | 3 | 441.18x |
| St George Hanover Square | 3 | 92.02x |
| Westminster St James | 3 | 157.89x |
| Bibury | 2 | 5000.00x |
| St George In East London | 2 | 114.94x |
| Westminster St Margaret | 2 | 224.72x |
| Hammersmith London | 1 | 21.93x |
| Kingston On Thames | 1 | 46.08x |
| Sculcoates | 1 | 34.36x |
| Wigan | 1 | 32.57x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bony households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Butler | 1 |
| Butler Dom Servt | 1 |
| Carman | 1 |
| Civil Service Copier | 1 |
| Cook (Dom) | 1 |
| Cook Dom Servt | 1 |
| Genl Serv Domestic | 1 |
| Housekeeper (Dom) | 1 |
| Iron Caulker | 1 |
| Plasterers Laborer | 1 |
| Scholar | 1 |
| Shepherd | 1 |
| Shopman | 1 |
| Washing | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Bony surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 34 in 2016. That gives Bony a modern rank of #35,768.
Derived from the French word meaning "thin" or "slender" physique.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bony bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.