Gunner
Boy name · #506 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Gunner? In official American birth records, Gunner has been tracked continuously since 1970, giving it 55 years of documented American history.
Gunner ranks #506 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 597 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #239, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,015 boys born in 2025 was named Gunner.
The 55-year story
Gunner first appears in the Social Security records in 1970, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 1,591 boys were named Gunner — good for #239 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Gunner per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gunner against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gunner in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Gunner is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Gunner will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Gunner is most common
Geography matters for names, and Gunner is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Gunner is most common in AR (1.5 per 1,000), MS (1.4 per 1,000), AL (1.1 per 1,000), KY (1 per 1,000), TN (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Gunner is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Gunner
Statistically, parents drawn to Gunner tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Porter, Gunnar, Zander, Turner, and Abner.
PorterGunnarZanderTurnerAbnerJaggerIkerXander
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gunner | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 597 | #506 |
| 2024 | 591 | #518 |
| 2023 | 711 | #437 |
| 2022 | 830 | #386 |
| 2021 | 1,021 | #324 |
| 2020 | 1,071 | #308 |
| 2019 | 1,175 | #294 |
| 2018 | 1,251 | #281 |
| 2017 | 1,394 | #262 |
| 2016 | 1,453 | #251 |
| 2015 | 1,591 | #239 |
| 2014 | 1,578 | #235 |
| 2013 | 1,514 | #239 |
| 2012 | 1,203 | #293 |
| 2011 | 911 | #333 |
| 2010 | 798 | #368 |
| 2009 | 745 | #398 |
| 2008 | 585 | #472 |
| 2007 | 525 | #501 |
| 2006 | 426 | #579 |
| 2005 | 358 | #620 |
| 2004 | 364 | #597 |
| 2003 | 326 | #629 |
| 2002 | 305 | #637 |
| 2001 | 272 | #668 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Gunner?
In official American birth records, the name Gunner first appeared in 1970 (over 55 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 55 years.
Is Gunner a popular boy name?
Gunner ranked #506 among boys in 2025 with 597 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #239.
When was the name Gunner most popular?
Gunner peaked in 2015, when 1,591 American boys received the name (ranked #239 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Gunner?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,015 newborn American boys was named Gunner. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.