Total births
18,156
Boys' name · since 1893
Gunnar
18,156 babies named Gunnar in U.S. Social Security records since 1893, with the highest year being 2015. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #598
- among boys today
- 18,156
- born since 1893
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Gunnar is the #598 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 18,156 recorded since 1893.
Social Security Administration records show Gunnar recorded 18,156 times among boys since 1893, holding rank #598 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1893 to 2025.
- #598 among boys today
- 18,156 born since 1893
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gunnar is currently the #598 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 18,156 born since 1893, peaking in the 2010s.
- #598
- among boys today
- 18,156
- born since 1893
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Gunnar vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#598
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Gunnar was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
825 babies were named Gunnar in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Gunnar compares
18,156 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gunnar's all-time total is 49x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gunnar | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,156 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 825 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gunnar's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gunnar's full recorded timeline at 1967, 95% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 5% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1893, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2015 peak of 825 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gunnar at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2015
Current rank
#598
Active since
1893
Gunnar popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1893–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 825
- Annual births at peak, across 133 years of records
Gunnar popularity over time - girls
22 total births recorded since 2004 (Gunnar as girls' name)
Gunnar by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Gunnar's strongest decade.
6,681 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Gunnar births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s 159
1910s
159 births
- 1920s 138
1920s
138 births
- 1930s 109
1930s
109 births
- 1940s 102
1940s
102 births
- 1950s 182
1950s
182 births
- 1960s 217
1960s
217 births
- 1970s 234
1970s
234 births
- 1980s 294
1980s
294 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,766 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,268 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,681 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,989 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 6,681 births (37% of all-time use).
How Gunnar compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gunnar's total volume
Gunnar vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gunnar by state
Where Gunnar concentrates geographically, total births since 1893
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,375 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,208 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Washington | | 812 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 707 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 697 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Florida | | 663 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 605 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 555 | 3.1% |
California share of Gunnar's total US births 7.6%
Even split
1,375 of 18,156 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Gunnar appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gunnar? ▼
Since 1893, Social Security records show 18,156 babies named Gunnar. Today it holds rank #598 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2015, with 825 births.
When was Gunnar most popular? ▼
Gunnar was most popular in the 2010s decade with 6,681 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Gunnar most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gunnar are California (1,375 births), Texas (1,208 births), Washington (812 births).
How long has the name Gunnar been used? ▼
Records for Gunnar go back to 1893, giving 133 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gunnar? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gunner, Gunther, Gunter, Gunnison, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gunnar's data
- Gunnar's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (6,681 total births) through the 2020s (2,989) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Gunnars (1,375 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gunnar
Nearby Names Like Gunnar
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gunnar
Gunner Boy
#518 23,486 births
Gunther Boy
#4454 1,098 births
Gunter Boy
#12552 397 births
Gunnison Boy
108 births
Gunnard Boy
67 births
Compare Gunnar side by side: Gunnar vs Gunner Gunnar vs Gunther Gunnar vs Gunter
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gunnar
Kaysen #597
6,640 births · Peak 2025
Ozzy #599
4,180 births · Peak 2025
Mohammed #596
16,225 births · Peak 2014
Julio #600
63,775 births · Peak 1990
Gerardo #595
55,015 births · Peak 2000
Shane #601
192,583 births · Peak 1973
Keegan #594
38,519 births · Peak 2007
Mohammad #602
17,183 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1893–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gunnar: #598 Boys' Name - 18,156 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gunnar. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gunnar draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.