So Joe and I have been throwing around the idea of changing our last name from Ormont to Bonafede. Bonafede is the original last name of the current "Ormont" family.
So the story goes.... (a little embellished)
Joe's Grandfather, Leo, was born here in the U.S. Leo's dad was the generation of Bonafede's that came to America from Italy. At some point when Leo was of working age, there was some discrimination against Italians and others. Well, Leo had a brother, Brother Bonafede (since Joe doesn't know what Leo's brother's name is) and Brother Bonafede could speak and write Italian, thus he was able to secure a job with the Government. Leo could only speak Italian and was finding it difficult to get a job with the last name of Bonafede and made the decision to change his last name.
So what do you change your name to when you have an Italian last name and want to get a job. First you gotta think of a good last non-Italian name or look to inspiration for a name. One day Leo was walking along and saw a handsome sweater in the window. He thought to himself, "my that's a fine sweater, I wonder who makes it." Well Leo walked in the store and took a sweater off the rack and saw on the label "Ormont". A light bulb of inspiration went off and Leo decided then and there that Ormont was a mighty fine name and perhaps one he could use to get him a job.
Bonafede to Ormont. So Leo went from Bonafede to Ormont, had a son, Gary, who then had a son, Joe, whom I am married to. Bonafede is only two generations back, so to change now (if we did change), during Joe's generation would make sense; the Bonafede name is not generations and generations back. Leo was a Bonafede then an Ormont, had a son Ormont, who had Joe Ormont who could go from Ormont back to Bonafede. I've already changed my name once from Rockwood to Ormont, so to change again for me isn't a big deal.
Also just a side note, but when you got to ancestry.com and go to the section, Learn about the family history of your surname.
Type in Ormont you get:
Sorry, we couldn't find a name meaning for the Ormont last name. Try using an alternate form of the name, or a different last name.
(that's because it's from a sweater vest people)
Type in Bonafede you get:
Italian: from a personal name composed of Latin bona ‘good’ (feminine form) + fides ‘faith’, given as an omen name meaning ‘(one who will have) great faith’.
(actual name with meaning- pretty cool considering names are important, especially in the bible)
Just thoughts....
To Bonafede or not to Bonafede, that is the question.
P.S. Leo did get a job with the name change from Bonafede to Ormont. He went on to get his Masters degree and became a well respected teacher and coach in Indiana. Plus according to Joe he was a really fun and caring grandpa. We wish he was still here so we could talk to him more about his life and learn more about the story of the name change a.k.a. the sweater vest.
