A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bonin family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
Reg. 7770 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or au saut. engr. de sa., cant. de quatre gerbes du même. C.: une gerbe de sa., soutenue d'un coussin d'arg., houppé d'or [Une branche portait: De sa. à trois gerbes d'or. C.: une gerbe de sa. Une autre branche: D'or à trois gerbes de sa. C.: une tête et col de panthère, au nat.; ou: D'or à trois gerbes de sa. C.: une gerbe de l'écu, entre deux cornes d'herm.]”
FlandreFlandre, c. 1663
Where the Bonin Arms Were Recorded
Flandre
Map of France showing where the Bonin arms are recorded
The Bonin arms were recorded in Flandre, c. 1663.
Flandre grew rich on cloth, and its towns were among the busiest in Europe. Merchant families bought land with their profits and took arms to go with it, so trade put as many names in the registers here as land did.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bonin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Flandre.
Origin & History of the Bonin Family in France
The surname Bonin has deep roots in the French-speaking regions of Europe, with historical records confirming the presence of the family in the northern territory of Flanders by 1663. The name is generally considered a diminutive form of the name Bon, which translates to good in French. During the seventeenth century, families in Flanders often lived in a complex cultural landscape where French and Flemish influences overlapped. Members of the Bonin family during this era were likely involved in the agricultural or merchant trades that defined the regional economy of the time. As the family established itself in these northern provinces, they became part of the local social fabric that navigated the shifting borders and political changes between the Kingdom of France and the Spanish Netherlands. By settling in this area, the early Bonins contributed to the long history of migration and community building that shaped the identity of the French-Flemish borderlands.
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ramLeadership and authority
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or au rencontre de bélier de sa. C.: le rencontre. - Armes mod.: De gu. au bélier naiss. d'arg., mouv. d'une haie d'osiers du même, qui occupe la moitié inférieure de l'écu. Cq. cour. C.: le bélier, iss.”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1765
Where the Bonin Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Bonin arms are recorded
The Bonin arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1765.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills the registers.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Germany in this period.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in France when the Bonin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Bonin Family in Germany
The Bonin family name has deep roots in the historical region of Pomerania, where members of the lineage were established as landowners and local figures by the mid-eighteenth century. The name itself is thought to have originated as a shortened form of names like Bonifatius, which suggests that early ancestors likely adopted the name during the period when surnames were becoming common across German-speaking lands. By 1765, the Bonin family was well-integrated into the social and administrative fabric of the Pomeranian countryside. They were typically associated with the landed gentry, managing estates and participating in the regional governance that defined life in the Prussian territories. Through their long presence in this Baltic coastal region, the family became a recognized part of the local history, maintaining their influence through generations of agricultural management and service to the state.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bonus
Latin term meaning good or virtuous.
This name
BoninA diminutive form indicating a good or kind person.
also spelled
Bonyn
Bonnin
Bunin
Bonen
Related arms
Bonninvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Archives Départementales du Nord, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, Series E
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
ramLeadership and authority
