Fun Facts About the Name Gunnar
- More than 18 thousand babies named Gunnar: U.S. records list 18,177 babies given the name Gunnar from 1880 through 2025. Even 22 girls received the name Gunnar - about 1 girl for every 825 boys.
What Does the Name Gunnar Mean?
Gunnar is a Scandinavian name that comes from the Old Norse personal name Gunnarr. That form descends from a Proto-Germanic compound of two elements: *gunþiz, "battle" (represented in Old Norse by gunnr), and *harjaz, "army" or "warrior" (Old Norse herr). Taken literally the compound means something like "battle-army" or "warrior in battle," and it is conventionally translated as "battle warrior." The German name Gundahar, later Gunther, is a cognate built from the same two elements rather than a source of the Norse name.
Gunnar Name History & Origins
Gunnarr is well attested in medieval Norse literature. In the heroic cycle preserved in the Poetic Edda and in Völsunga saga, Gunnarr is a son of King Gjúki, brother of Högni and Guðrún, and the husband of Brynhild; the Eddic poem Atlakviða tells of his death in a snake pit at Atli's court. This Gunnarr is the Norse counterpart of Gunther in the Middle High German Nibelungenlied, and behind the continental legend lies the historical Burgundian king Gundahar, who died in the fifth century. The name also belonged to Gunnar Hámundarson, the celebrated hero of the Icelandic Njáls saga.
The name stayed in ordinary use in Scandinavia rather than surviving only in legend. It is found in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, and it remained especially common in Iceland, where the modern form is simply Gunnar. Scandinavian emigration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries carried the name to North America and other English-speaking countries, where it is now generally written without the Old Norse nominative ending.
How Popular is the Name Gunnar?
Gunnar recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Its best rank was #382 in 2014.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #16,385 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #14,982 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #17,399 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #14,797 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #612 | 462 | 0.0270% |
| 2024 | #600 | 474 | 0.0276% |
| 2023 | #593 | 478 | 0.0280% |
| 2022 | #590 | 485 | 0.0278% |
| 2021 | #541 | 545 | 0.0312% |
| 2020 | #527 | 542 | 0.0314% |
| 2019 | #497 | 576 | 0.0321% |
| 2018 | #469 | 621 | 0.0342% |
| 2017 | #439 | 707 | 0.0382% |
| 2016 | #400 | 798 | 0.0421% |
| 2015 | #388 | 825 | 0.0431% |
| 2014 | #382 | 816 | 0.0425% |
| 2013 | #397 | 758 | 0.0401% |
| 2012 | #450 | 603 | 0.0318% |
| 2011 | #501 | 520 | 0.0274% |
| 2010 | #554 | 457 | 0.0238% |
| 2009 | #550 | 480 | 0.0242% |
| 2008 | #540 | 488 | 0.0239% |
| 2007 | #553 | 464 | 0.0224% |
| 2006 | #507 | 512 | 0.0249% |
| 2005 | #539 | 450 | 0.0225% |
| 2004 | #574 | 394 | 0.0199% |
| 2003 | #587 | 373 | 0.0189% |
| 2002 | #559 | 398 | 0.0205% |
| 2001 | #577 | 357 | 0.0184% |
| 2000 | #574 | 352 | 0.0179% |
| 1999 | #547 | 370 | 0.0193% |
| 1998 | #511 | 412 | 0.0216% |
| 1997 | #555 | 347 | 0.0184% |
| 1996 | #553 | 337 | 0.0178% |
| 1995 | #574 | 317 | 0.0167% |
| 1994 | #555 | 342 | 0.0177% |
| 1993 | #764 | 188 | 0.0096% |
| 1992 | #746 | 191 | 0.0096% |
| 1991 | #707 | 206 | 0.0102% |
| 1990 | #1,522 | 56 | 0.0027% |
| 1989 | #1,484 | 56 | 0.0028% |
| 1988 | #1,923 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1987 | #1,670 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1986 | #1,675 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1985 | #2,322 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #2,001 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1983 | #2,712 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #2,541 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #2,523 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #2,474 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #2,262 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1978 | #2,236 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #3,091 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1976 | #2,752 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #1,807 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1974 | #1,720 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1973 | #1,792 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1972 | #2,367 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #1,360 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 1970 | #1,636 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1969 | #1,744 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1968 | #1,527 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1967 | #1,937 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1966 | #1,780 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1965 | #1,885 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1964 | #1,712 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1963 | #1,763 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1962 | #1,726 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1961 | #1,535 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 1960 | #1,790 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1959 | #2,149 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #1,383 | 32 | 0.0015% |
| 1957 | #2,129 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1956 | #1,694 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1955 | #1,929 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #2,360 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #1,462 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1952 | #2,956 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #1,749 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1950 | #1,909 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1949 | #2,391 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1948 | #2,157 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1947 | #2,425 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1946 | #2,074 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1945 | #2,467 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1944 | #2,368 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1943 | #2,463 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1942 | #3,050 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1941 | #2,402 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1940 | #2,748 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1939 | #2,697 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,248 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1937 | #2,766 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #2,991 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1935 | #2,610 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1934 | #2,830 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1933 | #2,620 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #1,404 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1931 | #2,381 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1930 | #2,229 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1929 | #2,381 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1928 | #2,090 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1927 | #2,231 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1926 | #1,863 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1925 | #1,603 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1924 | #2,530 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1923 | #3,989 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #2,184 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1921 | #2,545 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1920 | #2,660 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1919 | #2,096 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1918 | #1,385 | 27 | 0.0027% |
| 1917 | #1,555 | 22 | 0.0024% |
| 1916 | #1,615 | 20 | 0.0022% |
| 1915 | #1,432 | 23 | 0.0027% |
| 1914 | #1,817 | 13 | 0.0020% |
| 1913 | #1,127 | 21 | 0.0041% |
| 1912 | #1,385 | 13 | 0.0030% |
| 1910 | #1,689 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1909 | #1,203 | 7 | 0.0043% |
| 1908 | #1,478 | 5 | 0.0032% |
| 1893 | #1,102 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Gunnar Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Gunnar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Gunnar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.