Baby Name Popularity Profile

Gunnar

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Gunnar.

✦ Warrior 🌍 German traditional
National Rank (2025) #612
All-Time Peak Rank #382 Achieved 2014
Total U.S. Births 18,156 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.9% Boy / 0.1% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1893 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 2010s 825 births in 2015
💡 The Gunnar Vibe: Considered a Modern Trend. A contemporary choice reflecting current cultural naming rhythms and popularity brackets.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Warrior
Language Origin German
Origin Type single
Derived from Old Norse Gunnarr, combining gunnr ('war', 'battle') and arr ('warrior', 'army').
Common Nicknames
Gunny
Alternative Spellings
Gunner
Pronunciation: GOON-nar
Themes & Categories
traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Gunnar

According to SSA data, Gunnar achieved its highest historical rank of #382 in 2014. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 2015 with 825 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 44.0%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 114 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Gunnar across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -44.0% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 825 births in 2015
Years in Top 100 0 yrs
Years in Top 500 8 yrs
Registry Streak 114 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 5
1900s: 12
1910s: 159
1920s: 138
1930s: 109
1940s: 102
1950s: 182
1960s: 217
1970s: 234
1980s: 294
1990s: 2,766
2000s: 4,268
2010s: 6,681
2020s: 2,989

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Gun-nar
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with G, a letter used by only 2.3% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Gunnar.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Alaska
Top States Alaska, Washington, North Dakota, Nevada, Idaho
States with Data 49
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Alaska Unranked 80 2009 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #371 812 2014 28.6% Decline
North Dakota Unranked 153 2000 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #470 138 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #453 153 1996 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #360 707 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #425 407 2017 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #648 289 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #503 380 2010 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 236 2012 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #649 467 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #649 304 2013 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 64 2013 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #643 488 2015 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 213 2013 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #463 260 2004 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #737 663 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #574 415 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #611 381 2013 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #542 307 2015 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire #245 53 2002 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #502 454 2016 25.9% Decline
Texas #847 1,208 2014 18.4% Decline
Nebraska Unranked 112 2017 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #443 343 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #687 697 2015 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #334 226 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #586 154 2013 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 19 2015 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #654 525 2014 Insufficient historical volume
California #760 1,375 2016 15.0% Decline
Illinois #654 605 2013 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #234 111 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #811 329 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 124 2019 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 38 1996 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #496 555 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 187 2015 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #646 185 2015 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #421 130 2013 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #728 238 2018 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 36 2015 Insufficient historical volume
New York #627 529 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #648 166 2020 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 33 2017 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 12 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 58 2019 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 5 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 5 2020 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Porter Deacon Kolton Zaiden Boston Jaxton Madden Dexter Ryland Moses
👧 Sister Suggestions
Oaklyn Dallas Kinley Allie Brinley Lyric Paislee Emmie Cali Lexi

🔗 Names You Might Also Like

Based on statistical similarity and shared characteristics with Gunnar:

Demographic & Volume Peers
Gunner Porter Dexter Gaspar Grover Garner Gregor Gasper Gilmer Glover
More traditional Names
Browse all traditional names → Browse German names →

🗂️ Browse More Baby Names

Explore our name indexes and data tracks:

👦 Top Boy Names → 2-Syllable Names → 6-Letter Names → More Modern Trend Names → German Origin Names → traditional Names → Names Peaking in 2015 → 🗺️ Regional State Data →