Gunner
Boy name · #506 in 2025 · Uniqueness 69/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gunner against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gunner in class?
Gunner scores 69 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. 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. In 2025 the states with the most Gunners were TX (67), CA (40), GA (38), TN (36), FL (30). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 69/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.