LaBonte
A French surname meaning “the good,” likely first used as a descriptive nickname or as a name formed from a place or sign.
The #7,109 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,607 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Labonte is French in form and is usually explained from French "la bonté," meaning "the goodness" or "the good one." Surnames built from an article plus an abstract noun often began as nicknames, perhaps for someone regarded as kind, honorable, or pious. In some cases, such names could also reflect a house sign, locality, or other French naming pattern rather than a literal personal description.
History
The surname is found in French-speaking areas and later became established in North America, especially among French-Canadian families. In modern usage, the spelling is often written as one word, though the underlying French phrase is still visible. Because French surnames were frequently Anglicized or normalized in spelling, forms with or without a space or accent may appear in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is closely related to the everyday French word "bonté," so it reads almost like a phrase rather than a traditional inherited surname.