Bonitz Name Study

Profile managers: One Name Studies WikiTree [send private message] and Jochen Bonitz [send private message]

This profile is part of the Bonitz Name Study.

About the Project

The BONITZ Name Study project serves as a collaborative platform to collect information on the BONITZ name and its variants in spelling. The hope is that other researchers like you will join the study to help make it a valuable reference point for people studying lines that cross or intersect. Please contact the project leader, add categories to your profiles, add your questions to the bulletin board, add details of your name research, etc.

Also see the related surnames and surname variants.

How to Join

This One Name Study is coordinated by Jochen Bonitz. Any contribution or colaboration is appreciated. Please contact me for any issue, question, idea or conribution you may have. Or you can simply add your name to the Membership list below.

All WikiTree profiles that are linked to this study so far can be seen in the corresponding WikiTree Category Page

Origins of Bonitz families

The oldest known Bonitz families are from Germany. They have their roots in Saxony. Early records date back to 1480 in the city of Zwönitz.

Another branch, whose connection to Saxony is not yet proven, can be found in Zellerfeld in the Harz mountains (formerly Kingdom of Hannover). Oldest records there start with Bonitz in 1680.

Besides these main lines, there are other families with the surname in Germany whose origins are not clear yet. In recent centuries, individuals of almost every Bonitz family branch emmigrated to the U.S. Most of today's Bonitz families in the USA are linked to these German immigrants.

However, there is one additional Bonitz line in the U.S. whose last name is derived from the Italian family name "Abbonizzio". They are not connected to German Bonitz families.

See also my private homepage at www.bonitz-forum.de for more details.

Origin, meaning and distribution of the Bonitz family name

The search for the origin and meaning of the "Bonitz" surname was focused on two different approaches so far:

One idea claimed that the name had a meaning in itself and probably was derived from a word of an other language (German, Slavonic, Latin, etc.). The other theory is based on the assumption that Bonitz is an indication of origin, and therefore looks for a location or place of origin which the name refers to.

When looking for a meaning of the name Bonitz, theories as highly imaginative as "bean farmer" or "the good one" were developed. The old German word "bone" is interpreted as "bean, something of little value, something small, low, or inferior". The profession derived from this would mean "bean farmer". On the other hand, the Latin word "bonus" means "kind(ly), good / well, noble". The last name Bonitz therefore would describe a person with a kind and noble character. In both cases, the ending "itz" (also "icz") is explained by a local variation due to the Slavonic influences in the region. However, none of these variants is proven to date, and it was not possible to identify a person whom the description was originally assigned to. As a conclusion, the assumption of a direct meaning of the surname cannot be justified to this day. The Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, lists: " Bonitz, German, nickname of Slavic origin, from boniti 'to scare'. " This interpretation is also not confirmed so far.

The theory of a name of origin, on the other hand, is supported by various sources. The "last names encyclopedia" at www.ahnenforschung.net for example contains the listing: Bonitz => name of origin related to the place name "Ponitz". First record: de Bonizc (about 1272 A.D.)

This position is also taken by Horst Naumann in his book of family names ("Das große Buch der Familiennamen"): "de Bonizc in 1272".

H. Grünert also indicates in his book "Family names in the Altenburg region" that the Bonitz family name is first mentioned in 1272 as "de Bonizc".

The above-mentioned village "Ponitz" is located on the small Pleisse river in the Altenburg region. The foundation of the settlement is dated to the time between 900 and 1200 A.D., when the Sorbes (Slavonic settlers) founded approximately 300 villages in the Altenburg country. The first record of the place "Ponicz" is found in a document of 1254.

Regarding the meaning of the village's name, there are again two suppositions: It is a common position that the name is derived from the Slavonic word "poniz" (= to sink, to deepen, degrades, deepens) which refers to the settlement's situation in a dale. Therefore, the name Ponitz is characterized as a landscape name. Another variant goes back to the Slavonic term for "cultivation" and tries to link the place name to the widespread method of burning down primeval forest in order to convert it to farmland.

All early records mentioning the settlement Ponitz were always associated with the castle of Ponitz. Due to its size, the castle and the accompanying assets were one of the most important castles in the duchy of Saxonia-Altenburg. The castle claimed responsibility for all rulings of the local hereditary and high courts for the parishes of Ponitz, Schönhain, Guteborn, Gosel, Zschöpel, and Dreussen.

The oldest records of Ponitz castle date back to the year 1254. The owners at that time were the masters "of Ponicz". Fridericus de Ponicz is mentioned as a witness to negotiations, concerning the Remse monastery.

1271 A.D. Walther de Ponitz is mentioned.

In 1274 Friedrich of Bonitz donates a mill to the monastery of Crimmitschau.

In 1303 Walther of Ponitz is listed as a member of the Altenburg town council.

1329 A.D. Heinrich of Ponitz and Friedrich Hermann of Ponitz are mentioned.

In 1349 knight Friedrich of Ponitz is described as "proprietor of Ponitz".

About 1365, the family line "of Ponitz" seems to have left the place. The castle was transferred to the Weißenbach ("Wissinbach") family, followed by a family called "Ende". In 1568 the castle was sold to Abraham of Thumbshyrn.

Ever since, the Ponitz (or Bonitz) family name was never again recorded in Ponitz.

Unfortunately, there are very few sources available to prove any occurrence of the Bonitz family name during the 14th and 15th century.

In 1497, Jorg Bonitz is mentioned as owner of the largest property in Kühnhaide. Kühnhaide is located in Saxony at the edge of the ore mountains. Today, Kühnhaide belongs to the city of Zwönitz. It is located about 30 miles south-east of Ponitz. Starting about 1500 A.D., there are many Bonitz families recorded in Zwönitz, who, in old registers, are often written as Bonitz, Ponitz or Poniz. Later on, the "Bonitz" spelling prevailed. Since that time, Zwönitz is the place of origin most modern Bonitz families can be linked to.

Today's distribution of Bonitz families in the USA

The surname Bonitz was introduced into the USA by immigration. As a result, there is no clear defined center or place of origin within the U.S. However, it can be noticed that the name is most seen in Pennsylvania. Other occurrences are in Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, California and Florida. The north-eastern states were originally preferred due to their good farming conditions. More recently, also more sunny locations like Florida or California were added.

Today's distribution of the family name Bonitz in Germany

The family name Bonitz is currently present in various regions of Germany, but there is a clear concentration in Saxony. The city of Chemnitz as well as the surrounding Stollberg county show the most entries.

Membership

Members of this BONITZ name study include:

• Jochen Bonitz - I've been researching all occurances of the BONITZ surname worldwide for more than 20 years. Trying to trace their families and trying to connect different family branches.

Related Surnames and Surname Variants

Spelling in old German church records often was inconsistent over the past centuries. Therefore, the BONITZ surname can also be found written as PONITZ, or sometimes BONIZ. As people moved to different regions, countries or even continents, the spelling was sometimes adapted locally, as well. Therefore, also variants like BONETZ, BOHNITZ, BONITS, but also BUNITZ, or BANITZ were found to be connected.

So far, I have decided not to follow the spelling variants containing the German Umlaut Ö; that means BÖNITZ (BOENITZ) or PÖNITZ (POENITZ) families are not part of my studies yet. If anyone is interested - I am willing to support.