An English, Irish, Scottish and French surname, the name Bonner comes from the Middle English term ‘bonere’ and the Old French term ‘bonnaire’ which both refer to being courteous and of a good appearance, someone who is handsome. The spelling variations for Bonner include Bonnar, Bonare, Boner and Bonners. In England the earliest Bonner families settled in Yorkshire. From there they settled over most of England and into Wales. The counties with the greater populations are Essex, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and the city of London. Along the eastern and center regions of Scotland the Bonner surname is located. Most with the Bonner family name live in Lanarkshire and Aberdeenshire counties. Within the United States early Bonner families resided first in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio. Famous: Arthur Lancelot Bonner (the English civil engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge built in 1932), Cornelius Bonner (professional football player), Anthony Bonner (professional basketball player), Frank Bonner (television actor), Patrick “Packie” Bonner (Irish footballer), Hilary Bonner (English writer) and Matt Bonner (professional basketball player).