As the name suggests, it was a strand and close to shore in the past though currently far from the seafront after several reclamations over history.

The streets are named after Sir George Bonham, the third governor of Hong Kong (1848–1854), who led the reconstruction effort of Sheung Wan after a fire destroyed part of it in 1851.

[citation needed] The street is comparatively low to the surrounding area and is easily flooded during heavy rains.

[citation needed] The street is sometimes mistakenly written as Bonham Strand East after its Chinese name.

The directory board in MTR Sheung Wan station is an illustration of the mistake.