Meaning & History
Bonitus is a Medieval Latin masculine given name. It is derived from a diminutive of Latin bonus, meaning "good"; thus the name carries the sense of "little good one". The name is best known from Saint Bonitus (ca. 623–705), a bishop of Auvergne (now Clermont-Ferrand, France). He was a Frankish nobleman who served as the referendary under King Clovis II and later became chancellor for Sigebert III. After a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Michael in Italy, Bonitus renounced secular life and became a monk. He was made bishop of Auvergne in 688 and served for several years. His saint's feast day is celebrated on January 15.
The name had some modest popularity in early medieval Francia and is recorded in various Latin documents. A notable Italian variant is Bonizzone, the Medieval Italian form of the name. Bonitus can be seen as an affectionate or humble contraction of names like Bonifacius or Bonifatius ("good destiny"), though morphologically it incorporates the diminutive suffix -ittus. Despite its favorable meaning, the name fell out of common use after the Middle Ages.