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

Gunther, 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 Gunther surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gunther in America

Gunther is the 4501st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gunther surname appeared 7,882 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gunther.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gunther 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 Gunther

The surname Gunther has its origins in the Germanic culture and languages. It is derived from the Old German words "gund" meaning war, and "heri" meaning army or warrior. Together, the name essentially means "battle warrior" or "army warrior".

The name is believed to have first emerged in the regions of modern-day Germany and Austria, sometime around the 6th or 7th century AD. It was a commonly used name among the Germanic tribes and people of that era, reflecting their warlike nature and the importance of military prowess in their culture.

One of the earliest known references to the name Gunther can be found in the Old Norse epic poem, the Poetic Edda, which dates back to the 13th century. The poem features a character named Gunther, who is portrayed as a powerful and wealthy king.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, also contains several entries of individuals with the surname Gunther or variations of it, such as Gunter or Gunthar. This suggests that the name had spread to England by the 11th century, likely brought over by Germanic settlers or invaders.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Gunther. One of the earliest was Gunther of Pairis (c. 955–1045), a Benedictine monk and chronicler who wrote a history of the monastery at Herrieden in modern-day Bavaria, Germany.

Another prominent figure was Gunther of Schwarzburg (c. 1170–1233), a German nobleman and crusader who participated in the Fifth Crusade to the Holy Land and served as a commander of the Teutonic Knights.

In the realm of art and literature, Johann Christian Gunther (1695–1723) was a German poet and satirist known for his biting satires and critiques of contemporary society.

The name also has a connection to exploration and travel, with Johann Gunther (1598–1634), a German traveler and merchant who authored a detailed account of his travels through Russia and Persia in the early 17th century.

Finally, one of the most recent notable individuals with the surname Gunther was Archibald Clavering Gunther (1847–1907), a British zoologist and ichthyologist who served as the Keeper of Zoology at the British Museum.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gunther

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

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 Gunther 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 Gunther 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 Gunther was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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