Contents [hide]

Gunter History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Gunter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Wales

Like many surnames, the name Gunter comes from a personal name, in this case, from Gunter or Gunther. Such names may be patronymic, signifying that the person's father was named Gunther, or they may simply have been chosen arbitrarily at the time when people were taking surnames. Gunther is a French and German name, coming from the Old French "gontier" or the Old German "gunter," both of which mean "battle-army."

However one source notes "a tradition in the family says, from gamut d'or, allusive to the gauntlets in their arms; but this is very improbable." 1

Another source note that the name could have been originally Norman as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists N. Gontier, Normandy 1180. This same source notes that "Sir Peter Gontier or Gunter accompanied Bernard de Neumarchd in the conquest of Brecknock 1088, and obtained a fief there." 2

Early Origins of the Gunter family

The surname Gunter was first found in Oxfordshire, where two men bearing the first names Gunter and Gonther were recorded in the Domesday Book at that time. 3 1

"In Berkshire the name has long been known. In the reign of Henry VI., the Gunters were Berkshire gentlemen. Colonel Gunter, who was a zealous adherent of Charles II., belonged to a family living at Racton, Sussex, in the 16th and 17th centuries, and hailing from Gilleston in Wales before that time. The name also occurs in Gloucestershire, and a reference will be found to it under that county.4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Geoffrey le Ganter, Cambridgeshire; and Adam le Ganter, Oxfordshire; Walter Guntard, Norfolk; and John Gunter, Oxfordshire. 5

Early History of the Gunter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gunter research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1100, 1205, 1221, 1581 and 1626 are included under the topic Early Gunter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gunter Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Gonther, Gunter, Gunther, Guenthner, Guntard and many more.

Early Notables of the Gunter family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edmund Gunter (1581-1626), English mathematician and inventor, namesake of Gunter's chain, a measuring device used for land survey and Gunter's rule/scale which is generally shortened to simply "Gunte...

Gunter Ranking

In the United States, the name Gunter is the 1,288^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 6

Gunter migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Gunter or a variant listed above were:

Gunter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lester Gunter, age 13, who arrived in Boston in 1635
Lester Gunter, aged 13, who landed in New England in 1635 7
John Gunter, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 7
Jacob Gunter, who settled in Virginia in 1651
Edward Gunter, who settled in Virginia in 1652
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gunter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrich Gunter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1729
Anton Gunter, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1730
Ewald Gunter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 7
Conrad Gunter arrived at the port of Philadelphia in 1748
Michael Gunter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gunter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Leont Gunter, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 7
Adam Gunter, who settled in Baltimore in 1834
Conrad Gunter, who arrived in Mississippi in 1840 7
Frank Gunter, aged 21, who landed in Missouri in 1840 7
Christian Frederick Gunter, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1849 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gunter Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Pauline Gunter, aged 21, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Italia" 8
Mr. Rudolph Gunter, aged 17, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Italia" 9
Miss Emma Gunter, aged 11, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Italia" 10

Gunter migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gunter Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Andrew Gunter U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11
Mr. Conrad Gunter U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11

Gunter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Gunter, aged 7, who arrived in Montreal in 1841
Martha Gunter, aged 5, who arrived in Montreal in 1841
Mary Gunter, aged 10, who landed in Montreal in 1841
Eliza Gunter, aged 2, who arrived in Montreal in 1841
Eliza Gunter, aged 28, who landed in Montreal in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gunter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gunter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Sarah Gunter, aged 18, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tory" in 1850 12

Gunter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gunter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Jane Gunter, aged 22, a nurse, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1873 13
Charlotte Gunter, aged 26, a cook, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wild Duck" in 1873
Thomas E. Gunter, aged 16, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875

Gunter migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 14

Gunter Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Gunter, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Falcon" arriving in Barbados in 1636 15

Contemporary Notables of the name Gunter (post 1700) +

William Dawson "Bill" Gunter Jr. (1934-2024), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 5th district (1973-1975)
Archibald Clavering Gunter (1847-1907), American author, best known for authoring the novel that the film A Florida Enchantment was based upon, and for his hand in popularizing "Casey at the Bat"
Thomas Montague Gunter (1826-1904), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Arkansas, 1874-83 16
Roscoe Gunter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1984 16
R. C. Gunter, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Gold Democrat National Convention from Alabama, 1896 16
Linda Gunter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2004, 2008 16
Julius Caldeen Gunter (1858-1940), American Democratic Party politician, Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals, 1901-05; Justice of Colorado State Supreme Court, 1905-07; Governor of Colorado, 1917-19 16
Clarence Gunter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1924; Member of Democratic National Committee from Arizona, 1929 16
Carolyn Gunter, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1972 16
Benjamin T. Gunter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1876; Member of Virginia State Senate 37th District, 1904-11 16
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2152
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2153
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2154
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THE TORY 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Tory.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 6th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html