Gunnar

Gunnar - A very unique male name

Gunnar appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #1042. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Gunnar and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Gunnar? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Gunnar. The baby boy name Gunnar was given to 427 baby boys in 2025, ranking #608 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,434 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Gunnar peaked in popularity 12 years ago in 2014 on position 381.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Gunnar, 1-5?

Gunnar is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Gunnar is currently topping the baby name charts in West Virginia at position #234 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #847.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Gunnar is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Gunnar origin and meaning

Old Norse

'Warrior' — from Old Norse gunnr, 'war', and arr, 'warrior'

Gunnar is a straight Old Norse warrior name, borne by heroes in the sagas and still in everyday use in Scandinavia. In the US it had a run of popularity peaking in 2015 among parents wanting something strong and Nordic, and has cooled since.

Attested etymology

Gunnar is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Gunnar, pop culture references for the name Gunnar and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Gunnar

We've found the following names that sound similar to Gunnar, sorted by popularity.

Gunner / Genaro / Gennaro / Gumaro / Gomer /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Gunnar

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Gunnar a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Gunnar?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

GUN-er · /ˈɡʌnər/

Around the world

• Gunnar (Scandinavian languages) — Used as-is across Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Germany.

Spellings and nicknames

• Gunner — The anglicised spelling that reads as the English word.

Famous bearers

• Gunnar Myrdal — Swedish economist and Nobel laureate, author of An American Dilemma (1898–1987) Historical
• Gunnar Nelson — Icelandic mixed martial artist and jiu-jitsu champion (b. 1988) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Parents chose Gunnar for its saga strength — short, hard-edged and unmistakably Nordic.

Worth knowing

• In English it sounds exactly like 'gunner', which draws military and firearm comments, and the Gunner spelling muddies it further.