Gunnar is an Old Norse name, Gunnarr, built from gunnr, "war", and arr, "warrior", so it means "warrior" or "bold in battle". It belongs to the hero of the Volsung saga and the Nibelungenlied, where he appears as Gunther. In the United States Gunnar is chosen by families of Scandinavian descent and by parents who like its rugged sound; it ranked number 574 in 2000, peaked at number 382 in 2014 and stands at number 612 in 2025.