Gunther
A masculine Germanic name meaning "battle warrior" or "fighter".
Name Census estimates that about 921 living Americans carry the first name Gunther. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gunther today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gunther births was 1995 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gunther. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
921
~ 1 in 372,155 Americans
Peak year
1995
32 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,457
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Gunther: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gunther from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 238 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Gunther remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gunther by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gunther during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gunthers live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gunther
The name Gunther is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Germanic words "gund" meaning "battle" and "heri" meaning "army" or "warrior." It was a popular name among the ancient Germanic tribes, particularly the Goths and Franks, who were known for their fierce warrior culture.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 5th century, when a Frankish king named Gunther ruled over a region that is now part of modern-day France and Germany. This Gunther was a prominent figure in the Nibelungenlied, a legendary epic poem that recounts the exploits of dragon-slayer Siegfried and the Burgundian kings.
In the 6th century, another notable figure named Gunther was Gunther of Burgundy, a king who played a pivotal role in the downfall of the Burgundian kingdom. He is depicted as a treacherous and villainous character in the Nibelungenlied, which has contributed to the name's association with strength and cunning.
One of the most famous historical figures named Gunther was Gunther of Schwarzburg (1109-1167), a German nobleman and crusader who participated in the Second Crusade. He was known for his bravery and military prowess, further solidifying the name's warrior connotations.
During the Middle Ages, the name Gunther was particularly popular among the German nobility and aristocracy. One notable bearer was Gunther von Schwarzburg (1352-1349), a German prince and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
In more recent history, Gunther Pluskat (1806-1868) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Kronprinzenpalais.
Gunther Schuller (1925-2015) was an American composer, conductor, and jazz musician who had a significant influence on the development of third stream music, a genre that blended jazz and classical styles.
These historical figures and their associations with warfare, nobility, and artistic achievement have contributed to the enduring popularity and rich cultural significance of the name Gunther.
People
Gunther + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gunther as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gunther: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gunther?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 921 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gunther going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 372,155 US residents.
Is Gunther a common name?
We classify Gunther as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,086 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gunther most popular?
The single biggest year for Gunther was 1995, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gunther is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gunther a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gunther in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.