Gunning — Family Name, Records and Arms

Families named Gunning carry a Norwegian surname with a long history. The usual explanation, from Elsdon Smith, is “descendant of Gunning or Gunnic (war or strife); the son of Gunn”.

• It is a patronymic: it named a person after a father or forebear.
• 3,364 Americans were listed as Gunning in the 2010 census. It sits among the 10,000 most common last names in the country.

Gunning coat of arms

There is no single Gunning family crest for all bearers; the honest first step is to find out which Gunning line, if any, bore arms. Research your Gunning family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.