Show ContentsGunther History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The colorful history of Saxony provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Gunther family. In the medieval era, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The ancient dukedom of Saxony derived its name from the Germanic tribe name the Saxons who inhabited the territory after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Early Origins of the Gunther family

The surname Gunther was first found in Saxony, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Gunther family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gunther research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1589, 1653, 1695, 1714, 1723 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Gunther History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gunther Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gunther, Gunter, Guenther, Guenter, Gunte, Guenthe, Gunthe, Guente and many more.

Early Notables of the Gunther family

Prominent bearers of the family name Gunther at this time were Anthony Günther, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (1653-1714), a German prince of the House of Ascania. Johann Guenther...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gunther Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gunther Ranking

In the United States, the name Gunther is the 3,954th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Gunther migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gunther Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Gunther, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 2
Gunther Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Gunther, who settled in Philadelphia in 1738
  • Kilian Gunther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
  • Christian Gunther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • Johan Caspar Gunther, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2
  • Heinrich Gunther, who landed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1753 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gunther Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henrich Gunther, aged 28, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Joh Joachim Gunther, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Anna Cath Gunther, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Anna Juliana Hinrietta Gunther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Barbara Gunther, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gunther (post 1700) +

  • David C. Gunther (1937-2024), American NBA basketball player and head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota from 1970 to 1988
  • George "Doc" Gunther (b. 1919), American politician, longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut's history
  • John Gunther (1901-1970), American author
  • Robert Theodore Gunther (1869-1940), American science historian, founder of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
  • Lee Gunther (1938-1998), American film editor
  • Jyllian Gunther, American film director
  • Earl O. Gunther, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 32nd District, 1920 3
  • Diana Gunther, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Oklahoma, 2004 3
  • Charles Godfrey Gunther (1822-1885), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of New York City, New York, 1864-66; Candidate for New York State Senate 7th District, 1878 3
  • Blair F. Gunther, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1948 (alternate), 1964; Candidate for Superior Court Judge in Pennsylvania, 1960 3
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Richard Günther (1919-1941), German Matrosenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Charles Gunther, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  5. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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