Surname Bonjean - Meaning and Origin
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Bonjean: What does the surname Bonjean mean?
The last name Bonjean is associated with French origin and is derived from the personal name Jean. The form of Bonjean is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Jean." The given name Jean is derived from the Hebrew "Yohannan," which is formed from two elements: "yo," meaning "Jehovah" or "God" and "hannan," meaning "mercy." The patronymic name Bonjean is therefore a combination of both faith and mercy.
A variety of spellings can be seen in France, including Baunjean, Banjeau, Bonejean, Bonyean and Bonjean, but the Bonjean spelling is most common in America. The migration of Bonjeans that arrived in the United States originated mainly in the regions of Poitou, Picardie and Brittany, in France, and the first recorded instance of the name is found in Norman records dating from 1272 in the Calvados.
The surname Bonjean, and its variants, can be found in family records of French immigrants to America in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The French surname could also have been adopted by people belonging to other ethnic groups, mainly from the border regions of France. One Bonjean family, who descended from natives of India, emigrated from France to settle in New Orleans around the end of the 18th century.
Bonjean is a relatively uncommon surname, and various branches of the Bonjean family tree remain scattered around the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Switzerland. Those bearing the Bonjean name are proud of their French heritage and honor the religious and cultural influences of the original name bearers.
Order DNA origin analysisBonjean: Where does the name Bonjean come from?
The Bonjean surname is most commonly found in Belgium and France today, but it can be found in other countries around the world as well. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of individuals with the Bonjean surname outside of Belgium and France, especially in countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa.
The surname originated in the Belgian province of Hainaut in the 14th century. It is a Belgian-French patronymic surname that was derived from the given name ‘Bon Jean’, which was common at the time. It is likely that Bon or Bons was a shortened form of ‘Bonne’, which carries the meaning ‘good’ or ‘kind’. This would be a reflection of how people viewed the original names bearer.
The Bonjean surname is now most commonly known in Francophone countries and in French-speaking areas in Belgium. However, due to the large Belgian diaspora in the 19th and 20th centuries, it can now be found worldwide.
It is still a popular surname in Belgium today, with an approximate total population of 1,800 people, and in France with roughly 870 people, according to genealogical records. It has also proved to be very popular across the globe with an estimated total population of 1,160 people.
Variations of the surname Bonjean
The surname Bonjean is most commonly seen in France, but variations, spellings, and other names of the same origin can be found in different countries.
Variant Spellings: Bonjeane, Bonjeann, Bonjeana, Bonjeann, Bonjeaud, Bonjeand, Bonjeault
Surnames of the same origin: Boncourt, Bonjon, Bonjonn, Bonioan, Bonjonneau, Bonjeanne, Bonjoieu, Bonjorn, Bonjour, Bonsier, Bonsoir, Bonsut, Bonsur, Bonsai, Bonsaut, and Bonnet.
In addition to variants and other names of the same origin, Bonjean can also be found with alternate spellings throughout various countries. For example, in Spanish speaking countries, Bonjean is sometimes spelled as Bon xen. Similarly, in Germanic countries like Germany or Austria, Bonjean is sometimes spelled as Bonj ein.
Another variation of the Bonjean surname is Bon zean, which is commonly seen in Belgium. This variation is thought to have originated from a Dutch version of Bonjean. Additionally, Bon zean is seen throughout other French-speaking countries such as Canada and Saint Lucia.
Overall, the Bonjean surname is generally found in France, Belgium, Canada, Saint Lucia, and German-speaking countries. There are many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for this surname including Boncourt, Bonjon, Bonjonn, Bonioan, Bonjonneau, Bonjeanne, Bonjoieu, Bonjorn, Bonjour, Bonsier, Bonsoir, Bonsut, Bonsur, Bonsai, Bonsaut, Bonnet, Bon xen, and Bon zean.
Famous people with the name Bonjean
- Mickaël Bonjean: a French composer and pianist.
- Adam Bonjean: a former White House deputy press secretary and White House director of rapid response.
- Ada Bonjean: a Dutch artist and author.
- Frédéric Bonjean: a 19th century French poet and critic who was a strong champion of Realism.
- Pierre Bonjean: a French journalist and politician who served as President Marie François Sadi Carnot’s election campaign manager.
- Guillaume-Joseph Bonjean: a 19th century French historian and historian of art.
- Louis-Joseph-Adolphe Bonjean: a 19th century French novelist and playwright.
- Théodore Bonjean: a French writer and satirist who wrote for popular Paris magazines.
- Jean-Pierre Bonjean: a sculptor best known for his “Humaine Nature” series of sculptures depicting human anatomy.
- Boaz Bonjean: a motorcycle and car racer from the Netherlands.