Find out how popular the last name Gunning is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gunning.

Gunning, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gunning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gunning in America

Gunning is the 9646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gunning surname appeared 3,364 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gunning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gunning to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gunning

The surname GUNNING is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "gunna" or "gunnen," which means "battle" or "war." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century during the time of the Norman conquest of England.

The name was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was a skilled warrior or soldier. It may have also been used as a nickname for someone with a fierce or aggressive personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GUNNING surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a Robert Gunning is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a John Gunnyng.

The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Robert Gunning (1589-1670), an English diplomat and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I and was appointed as a commissioner to negotiate with the Scottish Covenanters.

Another prominent figure was Peter Gunning (1614-1684), an English clergyman and bishop who played a significant role in the restoration of the Church of England during the reign of Charles II. He was appointed as the Bishop of Chichester in 1670.

In the 18th century, Elizabeth Gunning (1733-1790) and her sister, Maria Gunning (1737-1760), were famous for their beauty and became part of the British aristocracy through their marriages. Elizabeth married the 6th Duke of Hamilton, while Maria married the Earl of Coventry.

In the literary world, Peter Gunning (1808-1884) was a notable English author and educator who wrote several books on natural philosophy and natural history.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Gunning (1854-1940), a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to Brazil and Sweden, and was also the Governor of Madras Presidency in India from 1919 to 1924.

The GUNNING surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Gunning in Kent and Gunning in Oxfordshire, which may have contributed to the evolution and spread of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gunning

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gunning.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gunning was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gunning has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gunning was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gunning, please contact us.

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