Bonaparte

Bonaparte is a surname associated with a prominent Corsican noble family that rose to power in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The most famous member is Napoléon Bonaparte, who emerged as a military and political leader during the French Revolution and became Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814, with a brief return during the Hundred Days in 1815. His reforms and campaigns reshaped European politics and law, notably through the Napoleonic Code.

The Bonaparte family expanded its influence through royal and administrative titles acquired in the course of the Napoleonic era. Joseph Bonaparte ruled as King of Naples (1806–1808) and later as King of Spain (1808–1813). Louis Bonaparte served as King of Holland (1806–1810). Jérôme Bonaparte was King of Westphalia (1807–1813). Other relatives, such as Lucien and Paul Bonaparte, were active in politics or military affairs, while Caroline Bonaparte and Hortense de Beauharnais (Napoleon’s sister-in-law and Louis Bonaparte’s wife) played notable roles in social and dynastic circles. Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, the son of Louis Bonaparte and Hortense, became Napoléon III, Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870.

Origins of the family lie in Ajaccio, Corsica, with branches that attained prominence in France during the Napoleonic era. After the fall of Napoleon, members of the Bonaparte family experienced periods of exile and restoration. The surname remains closely linked to the Napoleonic era and its enduring impact on European history.

In modern usage, Bonaparte refers to people bearing the surname, as well as works and places named after the family, and it appears in historical and biographical literature about Napoleon and his relatives.