Buenechea is the Spanish spelling of a Basque surname which also occurs in the variants Bonechea, Buonechea, Boenechea and Bonachea. The modern Basque spellings are Buenetxea and Bonetxea. This surname is not common; Buenecheas and Buenetxeas between them number fewer than 100 in the whole of Spain, for the most part located in Gipuzkoa, where diocesan records indicate only around 1000 persons have been born with this name and its variants in the 300-year period 1600–1900. It is made up of the elements "buen, bon" (corruptions of "güen < goen < goien", 'upper') + "etxea" ('house'). The name therefore is originally related to "Goyenetch(e)", "Goyenech(e)" and "Go(i)enetxe". Arms All indigenous Basques are in theory armigerous. One family has the following blazon: Urdin eta zilar koloreko uhinen gainean, izurdea. Gorri bizizko hegala, eta bertan urrezko zortzi panela. i.e. Wavy azure and argent, a dolphin spiny, bordure gules eight water-lily leaves or. Notable people Ygnacio de Bonechea Manterola proved his status of Hidalgo in 1725, tracing his ancestors back to Domingo Bonechea (floruit circa 1645), a descendent of the Bonechea Casa Solar of Asteasu, where members of the family are attested under the name Bofonechea up to 1618. A Domingo de Bonechea proved his status of Hidalgo before the Justices at Zarauz in 1738. It is unclear if this was the same person as the explorer (see below). A Juan Ignacio de Bonechea proved his status of Hidalgo before the Justices of Aya (Guipuzcoa) in 1772. Furthermore Francisco Bonachea Zabala and his son Agustin Bonechea Martinez also were confirmed as Hidalgos in 1762 and 1778 respectively. Domingo de Bonechea, an 18th-century explorer, mentioned by Georg Forster in his account Voyage Around the World as "Domingo Buenechea" Manuel de Agote y Bonechea (1775–1803) from Getaria who kept a diary of his travels with the Spanish Royal Philippines Company Francisco Bonechea, in 1748 as Frigate Captain served aboard the Galga under Captain Blas de la Barreda. He is mentioned again in 1774 still as Frigate Captain Alexandro Bonechea Vicana (1689-1741) died of wounds received in the defence of Cartagena de Indias during the War of Jenkins' Ear. Manuel de Buenechea, married Concessa Echezarreta in 1737, died 1770, pilot of the doomed ship Oriflama which sank with him and his brothers Bartolome and Joseph de Bonechea aboard. José Ramón Leocadio Bonachea y Hernández (1845–1885) Cuban revolutionary general, executed by firing squad Juan Antonio de Bonachea