Gunnar is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gunnar means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gunnar across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gunnar has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gunnar is a boy name of Old Norse origin meaning “bold warrior”. From gunnr meaning battle and arr meaning warrior.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 18,178 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 103 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Gunnar per year, United States (1893 to 2025). United States peaked in 2015 (830/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2018 (13/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2022 (4/yr).
Gunnar has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2015, when it ranked #780 nationally (given to 835 babies that year).
Connor · Conner · Gunner · Konner · Konnor · Gaynor · Connar · Kenner
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