Bono
A name with several possible roots, including a Norman byname from Latin bono, meaning “good,” and, in some cases, an Italian surname from the same word.
The #6,441 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,563 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as coming from the Latin adjective bonus, “good,” in its oblique form bono, which could be used as a personal byname in medieval Latin records. The Norman evidence points to forms such as de Bono and Bon Ami, suggesting an early continental surname built on the idea of “the good one” or “good friend.” In Italian, Bono can also simply reflect the same word for “good,” so the surname may have arisen independently in more than one place.
History
The historical excerpts point to medieval Norman and Anglo-Norman uses, including recorded forms in Normandy and in English surname lists. Because the name is short and transparent, it could also have developed separately in Romance-speaking areas, especially Italy, where Bono is a natural surname form. Later bearers in the English-speaking world may reflect both Norman inheritance and more recent immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Latin phrase cui bono? — “who benefits?” — uses the same word root as this surname.
From the historical record
“(all : St. Geo. Han. Sq. L ( *" " o; UDB. (Nor I, 14, o; Bono. Boardwrlght. — Occup. ' the boardwright,' a carpenter, a maker of tables and chairs, &c., probably”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instancesNotable people named Bono
- Sonny Bono (1935–1998)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.