This name like Leod in Macleod, which see, is an abridged or pet-form of some such longer Norse name as Gunn-arr, Gunn-baorn, Gunn-laug, or Gunn-olfr. Gunni is an old West Scandinavian personal name (Lindkvist, p. 216). The Norse diminutive is Gunna, whence the Gaelic Guinne, with adjectival Gunnach. The Gunns are of Norse origin, and the first of the name connected with Caithness was Gunni, son of Olaf, a Caithness chief of the twelfth century (Orkneyinga Saga, 1873 ed., p. 73). They were a warlike clan and occupied mainly the Highland portions of Caithness. Their connection with the county as a distinct clan ended about 1619 (Henderson, Caithness family history, p. 319)

(2) A pension was paid to John, son of Gun or Gune by the provost of Rutherglen, 1327 (ER., I, p. 70, 87, etc.), and two years later John, son of Gvn and nine men were paid for rigging sent to Tarbert (ibid., p. 127). This Gunn may be of a different origin, compare English name Gunne (1273). Robert Gun was deacon of craft in Stirling, 1565 (SBR., p. 280).

An ancient personal name, or rather a contraction of one, such as Gundebert, Gundric, or Gundbald.

As a Cornish name, from gûn, goon, a down or common, a plain.

(British.) Local. From Gun, a plain, a down or common; Welsh, gwaen.

"A person whose name was Gunn complained to a friend that his attorney, in his bill, had not let him off easily. 'That's no wonder, ' said his friend, 'as he charged you too high!' But this is not so good as an entry in the custom—house books of Edinburgh, where it appears that 'A,' meaning Alexander—'A. Gunn was discharged for making a false report!'"—Lower.

Lower also tells us of a German named Feuerstein (fire—stone—the German for flint) who settled in the West when the French population prevailed in that quarter. His name, therefore, was changed into French Pierre à, Fusil, but in the course of time, the Anglo—American race became the prevalent one, and Pierre à Fusil was again changed into Peter Gum.