Given name & surname · also Scandinavian
Gunnar
“a bold warrior”
Gunnar is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “a bold warrior.”
Original Old NorseGunnarr
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “a bold warrior.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old Norse.
How it developed
In Scandinavian use, Gunnar is used as a form of Günther.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gunnar through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,178
- 18,156 boys · 22 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 830 babies
- 2025
- 462
- #612 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 462 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 612 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 825 in 2015. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (34). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,805 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gunnar’s family of names
Gunnar has a short form in Gunne. In Norwegian Nynorsk usage, Gunnar shares a linguistic root with the German form Gunther. In Danish usage, Gunnar has a related form in Gunner.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gunnar has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Old Norse roots to each of them.
Old Norsewhere Gunnar comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Gunnarrroot · Old Norse
- Gunthercognate · German
- Guntercognate · English
- Guenterequivalent
- Günterequivalent
- Gunārsequivalent
- Gunaroequivalent
- Kunnakborrowing · Greenlandic
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Gunnar
- Gunnar MyrdalSwedish economist (1898–1987)
- Gunnar NordahlSwedish association football player (1921-1995)
- Gunnar GrenSwedish footballer1920–1991
- Gunnar EkelöfSwedish writer (1907–1968)
- Gunnar GunnarssonIcelandic author (1889–1975)
- Gunthersemi-legendary king of Burgundy of the early 5th century385–437
- Gunnar NielsenFaroese footballerborn 1986
- Gunnar Knudsen11th Prime Minister of Norway (1848–1928)
- Gunnar BjörnstrandSwedish actor (1909–1986)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gunnar, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sigurd
“the protector of victory”
>99% boys
Tor
“one who is peaceful”
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Sven
“a youthful man; a lad”
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Viggo
“battle”
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Turo
Turo is a masculine given name from Danish, ultimately from Swedish. It is used in Finnish, Tagalog, and Cebuano.
83% boys · 17% girls
Torsten
“from Thor's town; Thor's stone”
>99% boys
Frode
“a wise man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Björn
“bear”
>99% boys