2179 BENONI, is he Italian?

Have you had a look a geneology.com, they have your gt gt grandfathers name listed.

Benoni could be an italian Surname, not a name.

Paola

according to a web 'roots search' page;-

"I have noted on some mailing lists mention of the given name of
Benoni. This is an unusual name, and some people think that it is an
Italian family name and the child is named after his or her mother’s
family and then indicate that they have been unable to find a family
with that surname.

Actually Benoni is a Biblical name that means "son of my sorrow."
It was the original name given to the younger son of the patriarch
Jacob. Rachel, his mother, in her dying agony named the child Benoni.
(Genesis 35:18).

This name was often given in American Colonial times to a child whose
mother died in childbirth or whose father died before the child was
born. In fact, this is an important clue. When one sees the name Benoni,
look to see what sad event might have caused the child to be given that
name. It might have been the death of a grandparent, a parent or a
sibling."

So probably not Italian

Many thanks for all that fascinating information.
As I cotinue my family research I will keep a look out for a family death around 1847, when Benjamin Benoni was born.
Regards,
Ian.

Benoni is also a town in South Africa

[url]http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/B/BenoniS1A1f.asp[/url]

How wonderful to be researching your family tree. My Uncle has done my fathers side back to the 17th Century and it is fascinating. Our origins are sadly not in Italy but in Sweden then Ireland and with the potato famine ended in Liverpool (via Leamington Spa). Has anybody else any interesting tales of past lives and well travelled roots....