Fun Facts About the Name Bonaventure
- 11 babies named Bonaventure: U.S. records list 11 babies given the name Bonaventure from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bonaventure Mean?
Bonaventure is a masculine given name meaning "good fortune" or "good luck." It comes from the Latin phrase bona ventura, made up of bona, the feminine form of bonus ("good"), and ventura ("fortune, luck"), which derives from venturus, the future participle of venire ("to come"). The Italian form is Bonaventura, and the French form is Bonaventure; the English name follows the French spelling. The meaning is literal rather than symbolic: it names good fortune or a favorable outcome, not the English word "adventure." Later devotional use has sometimes treated the name as a sign of blessing, but that is a religious interpretation added to the name's etymological sense.
Bonaventure Name History & Origins
The best-known bearer is St. Bonaventure (1221 - 1274), the Franciscan theologian, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. He was born Giovanni di Fidanza in Bagnoregio, in central Italy. According to a traditional account, as a sick child he was healed through the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi, who exclaimed "Buona ventura!" ("Good fortune!"); the name Bonaventure is traditionally connected with this event. The story is devotional rather than fully documented, and it does not prove that the name began with him. The Latin form Bonaventura is the source of the Italian Bonaventura and the French Bonaventure; the English name follows the French spelling. Through the Franciscan order and Catholic devotion to the saint, the name spread to other Catholic regions. In Spain the related form is Buenaventura, a native Spanish equivalent with the same "good fortune" sense. In English, Bonaventure has remained chiefly a Catholic name, used in religious communities and in honor of the saint rather than as a common everyday given name.
How Popular is the Name Bonaventure?
Bonaventure has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #10,868 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,868 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,491 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Bonaventure
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with B
How the Name Bonaventure Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Bonaventure's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bonaventure's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.