Surname Gundersen - Meaning and Origin

Gundersen: What does the surname Gundersen mean?

The last name Gundersen is a Scandinavian patronymic surname, which means ‘son of Gunner’. Gunner is a masculine given name of Old Norse origin and derives from the elements ‘gunnr' meaning "warrior” and 'arr' meaning "army". Therefore, Gundersen literally translates to ‘son of the warrior’.

Gundersen is a popular surname in both Norway and Denmark, with different variations in spelling, such as Guan, Guness, Gunnerson and Gunneriesen. It is likely that the use of the surname Gundersen was prevalent during the Viking Age, when strong warrior codes drove Norwegian and Danish society.

The trouble with determining the exact meaning of Gundersen is that because of its variations in spelling and its Scandinavian roots, the meaning could be slightly different between the countries and even between families. The only way to accurately determine the origin of someone’s Gundersen surname is to research the name through personal and historical family documents.

The most recent data available by the United States Census Bureau in 2020 states that Gundersen is the 1,003rd most common surname in the United States, with more than 33,000 people carrying the name. With its popular usage both in the US and Scandinavia, the surname Gundersen has certainly lived on for centuries as a symbolic tribute to whatever daring adventurer first took on the name.

Gundersen: Where does the name Gundersen come from?

The last name Gundersen is most commonly found in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. Norway has the highest concentration of people with the last name, accounting for about 57% of all Gundersens worldwide. Norway is where the name originated. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse 'gunnarr', meaning warrior.

In the United States, the last name Gundersen is the 1,719th most common in the population, according to the 2020 census. It's highest in Wisconsin and Iowacounties, followed by Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota, and Illinois, New York, California, and Oregon.

The last name is also quite common in Germany, although its etymology there is unknown. It is most commonly found in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Hesse.

In the United Kingdom, the last name Gundersen is not among the top 100 surnames, according to their 2020 census. However, it is quite common in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.

Overall, the last name Gundersen is more commonly found in the Nordics and areas of German influence, like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota in the United States, as well as Germany and Gibraltar in Europe.

Variations of the surname Gundersen

Gundersen is a surname of Norwegian origin, which is found mostly in Scandinavia, the United States and Canada. Variations of the surname include Gunderson, Gundersonn, Gündersen, Günders, Gundersrud, Gunderse, Gundersson, Gunner, Gunnersen, Gunsersen and Gunsrud. In some cases, the surname also takes the form Gongsrud, González, Gonder, Gonser and Gundal.

In Norway, the form Gundersen is the most common, while the form Gunderson is most common in the United States and Canada. The most popular variation in Scandinavia is Gundersrud, while the most popular variation in the United States and Canada is Gunderson.

The surname Gundersen has been altered over the years, depending on language and country of origin. It has been Anglicized from the original Norwegian form, and is sometimes written as Gunderson in English-speaking countries. It has also been subjected to spelling changes due to changes in pronunciation and dialectal differences.

The variations in spelling of Gundersen have had an effect on its pronunciation as well. While most variations in the United States and Canada are pronounced "GUN-der-sen," some variations in Scandinavia are pronounced “GOON-dur-sen” or “GYOON-der-sen.”

Gundersen is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the given name of the father. The given name Gunnar is thought to be the root of the surname, and is derived from the Old Norse elements "gur", meaning "battle", and "nar", meaning "courage" or "strength".

Famous people with the name Gundersen

• Major Napolean Bonaparte Gundersen (1833: 1877), an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served in Bermuda and New Mexico.
• Anne-Cathrine Gundersen (b.1978), a Norwegian singer and songwriter. 3.Christen Gunner Christensen (1743: 1825), a Norwegian Christian missionary living in the Outer Hebrides. 4.Otto Gundersen (1880: 1955), a Norwegian gymnast who won three gold medals in the 1908 Summer Olympics. 5.Noah Gundersen (b. 1989), an American singer and songwriter. 6.Harald Gundersen (1917: 2004), a Norwegian speed skater and Olympic athlete. 7.Marcus Gundersen (b. 1963), an American former professional snowboarder known for his signature hair style: long, frizzy locks with the signature end-curl. 8.Nikolai Gundersen (1867: 1947), a Norwegian architect and one of the pioneers of modern Scandinavian architecture. 9.Sigurd Gundersen (1850: 1935), a Norwegian timber merchant and builder of the Hurtigruten boats. 10.Beret Lunden Gundersen (b. 1952), a Norwegian reindeer herder, musher and polar explorer.

Other surnames

Gunderson