Gunnison

Meaning & origin

Gunnison is a modern American name that emerged in the late 1990s, first recorded in 1999. Its peak popularity came in 2015, but it remains extremely rare, with a ranking of 8243rd in 2025 and an incidence of approximately one in 189,786 boys. The name has remained stable in usage over the past decade, never breaking into the top ranks or appearing on lists of most popular names. It is often associated with natural landmarks such as the Gunnison River in Colorado, giving it a rugged, outdoorsy feel. Parents drawn to Gunnison typically favor surnames as first names with a strong, masculine sound.

Gunnison is primarily a modern American coinage, likely originating as a transferred use of the surname Gunnison. The surname itself may derive from the Old Norse personal name Gunnr, meaning 'battle', combined with the patronymic suffix '-son'. Alternatively, it could be a locational name from a place in Scotland. The name has been used sparingly in the United States since the late 1990s, possibly inspired by the Gunnison River in Colorado or the surname of explorer John W. Gunnison.