Gunn Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gunn last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gunn last name
Meaning of the Gunn last name: battle. Gunn is a Scottish surname from the Old Norse first name Gunnr, "battle", brought to Caithness by Norse settlers. The last name belongs to the Clan Gunn of Caithness and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. Curiously, family tradition traces the clan to Gunni, a Norseman linked by marriage to the Earls of Orkney.
Arms associated with the Gunn name
Coats of arms associated with the Gunn surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Gunn family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gunn story. The full Gunn history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gunn coat of arms. Get the full Gunn report.
Gunn name FAQ
What does the Gunn name mean?
Battle. Common variants include Gun, Gunne.
Where does the Gunn surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Gunn coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gunn coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).