Girl · #4,851 in 2026

Gunhild

Gunhild is a Germanic feminine given name composed of two words meaning "war".

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
Current Rank
#4,851
Peak Rank
#1,867 (1916)
Total Babies
169
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1890
First Year
1926
Last Year
1916
Peak Year
#1867
Peak Rank
169
Total Count
20
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gunhild

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gunhild is a Germanic feminine given name composed of two words meaning "war".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish

The Story of Gunhild

The earliest SSA record of Gunhild as a baby girl name dates back to 1890, when 5 babies received it. 1916 was its biggest year on record, with 18 newborns named Gunhild — #1,867 in the national rankings. About 59% of every Gunhild on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Gunhild last appeared in the published SSA data in 1926, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 169 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Gunhild

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gunhild. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Gunhilda
  • Gunilla
  • Gunnel
  • Gunnhild

Names that sound like Gunhild

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gunhild is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Gumshield
  • Concealed
  • Congealed
  • Grunewald
  • Gambled
  • Gounod
  • Gamboled
  • Gambolled
  • Gingold
  • Cancelled
  • Canceled
  • Inhaled

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gunhild

What does the name Gunhild mean?
Gunhild is a Germanic feminine given name composed of two words meaning "war".
What is the origin of the name Gunhild?
Gunhild has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish.
How popular is Gunhild in 2026?
In 2026, Gunhild ranks #4,851 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Gunhild most popular?
Gunhild reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #1,867 that year with 18 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gunhild most popular?
Gunhild has historically been most popular in Minnesota, Illinois. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gunhild.
Is Gunhild a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gunhild is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Gunhild?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gunhild include Margretta, Clytie, Malissia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Gunhild?
Common variants and related forms of Gunhild include Gunhilda, Gunilla, Gunnel, Gunnhild. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Gunhild

Gunhild is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 169 births in the dataset. Gunhild's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #1,867. Use the chart and map above to compare Gunhild's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.