Bonanno
An Italian surname built on bon- and anno, conveying a sense of “good year” or good fortune.
The #8,834 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,242 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bonanno is an Italian surname formed from bon- “good” and anno “year,” ultimately from Latin bonus and annus. The literal sense is “good year,” which likely began as a wish-name or an optimistic nickname rather than a literal description. In some cases, surnames of this type can also reflect devotional or congratulatory naming practices.
History
The surname is especially associated with Italy, and it remains most common in Italian and Italian-American families. The form appears in medieval and later records in several spellings, including Bonanno and related variants. Because the provided source only mentions the name in passing, the explanation here follows established Italian surname patterns rather than a specific documentary entry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Italian surnames built from bon- (“good”) are common enough that they often reflect a hopeful or auspicious naming habit rather than a literal nickname.
From the historical record
“Bonamy 192. Bonaani 196. Bonanno. (M Ser fieoizso 560. Bonaparte 36. Bonaventura 198. Bonaventura Phihpot”
— Die Personennamen, insbesondere die Familiennamen