Bonifacio Family History

Italian Portuguese (Bonifácio): from the personal name Bonifacio Bonifácio from Latin Bonifatius from bonum ‘good’ + fatum ‘fate destiny’. In Late Latin -ti- and -ci- came to be pronounced identically; the name was thus often respelled Bonifacius and assigned the meaning ‘doer of good deeds’ derived by folk etymology from Latin facere ‘to do’.

The personal name was always more popular in Italy (in its various cognate forms) than elsewhere; the original sense ‘well fated’ remained transparent in Italian so the name was often bestowed there for the sake of the good omen.

See also Boniface.