Günther, Guenther, Ginther, Gunther, and the variants Günter, Guenter, Guenther, Ginter, and Gunter, are Germanic names derived from Gunthere, Gunthari, composed of *gunþiz "battle" (Old Norse gunnr) and heri, hari "army". Gunder and Gunnar are the North Germanic equivalents in Scandinavia.
Notable people with the given name include:
Arts and entertainment Günter Bialas (1907–1995), German composer Günter Brus (1938–2024), Austrian painter, performance artist, graphic artist, experimental filmmaker, and writer Günter Bust (1930–2005), German music educator and composer Gunter Christmann (1936–2013), German-born Australian painter Gunter Demnig (born 1947), German artist Günter Eich (1907–1972), German lyricist, dramatist, and author Günter Fruhtrunk (1923–1982), German geometric abstract painter and printmaker Gunter Gabriel (1942–2017), German singer, musician, and composer Günter Grasmück, member of the Austrian band Opus Günter Grass (1927–2015), German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, and sculptor Günter Graulich (born 1926), German church musician and music publisher Gunter Hampel (1937–2026), German jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer Günter Haumer (born 1973), Austrian operatic baritone Günther Jauch (born 1956), German television presenter Günter Jena (1933–2026), German choral conductor and musicologist Günter Katzenberger (1937–2020), German musician, musicologist, conductor, professor, writer, and publisher Günter Kehr (1920–1989), German violinist, conductor, and academic teacher of violin and chamber music Günter Kochan (1930–2009), German composer Günter Krämer (born 1940), German stage director and theatre manager Günter Lamprecht (1930–2022), German actor Günter Lenz (1938–2026), German jazz bassist and composer Günter Ludwig (1931–2022), German pianist Günter Mack (1930–2007), German actor Günter Meisner (1926–1994), German film and television character actor Günter Müller (born 1954), German-born Swiss sound artist Günter Neubert (1936–2021), German composer and tonmeister Günter Neuhold (born 1947), Austrian conductor Günter Pfitzmann (1924–2003), German film actor Günter Pichler (born 1940), Austrian violinist, teacher, and conductor Günter Platzek (1930–1990), German keyboard player Günter Raphael (1903–1960), German composer Günter Reich (1921–1989), German-born Israeli baritone Günther Reindorff (1899–1974), Estonian-Soviet graphic designer Günter Reisch (1927–2014), German film director and screenwriter Günter Rimkus (1928–2015), German dramaturge Günter Rittner (1927–2020), German painter and illustrator Günter Rössler (1926–2012), German photographer Gunter Sachs (1932–2011), German photographer, author, student, industrialist, and astrologist Günther von Scheven (1908–1942), German sculptor Günther Schifter (1923–2008), Austrian radio presenter Gunter Schoß (born 1940), German voice and television actor Günter Schubert (1938–2008), German actor and voice actor Gunther Schuller (1925–2015), American musician Günter Schulz (born 1963), German musician, songwriter, and former member of the industrial band KMFDM Gunter Sieberth (born 1965), German oboist Günter Sommer (born 1943), German jazz drummer Günter Steinke (born 1956), German composer and teacher Günther Stoll (1924–1977), German actor Günter Strack (1929–1999), German film and television actor Günther Uecker (1930–2025), German painter, sculptor, and installation artist Günter Voglmayr (1968–2012), Austrian classical flutist Gunter Waldek (born 1953), Austrian composer, conductor, and music educator Günter Wand (1912–2002), German orchestra conductor and composer Günter Wewel (1934–2023), German operatic bass and television presenter
Sports Günter Ambraß (born 1955), East German weightlifter Günter Anderl (1947–2015), Austrian figure skater Günter Bartusch (1943–1971), East German motorcycle road racer Günter Beier (born 1942), German gymnast Günter Benkö (born 1955), Austrian football (soccer) referee Günter Bergau (born 1939), German rower Günter Bernard (born 1939), German professional footballer Günter Böttcher (1954–2012), West German handball player Günter Bittengel (born 1966), Czech football (soccer) coach and former player Günter Breitzke (born 1967), German footballer Günter Bresnik (born 1961), Austrian tennis coach Gunter Brewer (born 1964), American football coach Günter Brocker (1925–2015), German footballer and later manager Günter Brümmer (1933–2020), West German slalom canoeist Günter Busarello (1960–1985), Austrian wrestler Günter Busch (1930–2006), German footballer Günter Burghard (1942–2022), Austrian ice hockey player Gunther Cunningham (1946–2019), American football coach for the Detroit Lions of the NFL Gunther Danne (1942–2025), German sport shooter Günter Deckert (Nordic combined) (1950–2005), East German Nordic combined skier Günter Deuble, West German slalom canoeist Günter Dohrow (1927–2008), German middle-distance runner Günter Dreibrodt (born 1951), East German handball player Günter Drews (born 1967), German footballer Günter Flauger (born 1936), German skier Günter Friesenbichler (born 1979), Austrian footballer Günter Fronzeck (born 1937), German footballer Günter Grosswig, East German slalom canoeist Günter Güttler (born 1961), German footballer and manager Günter Habig (born 1964), German footballer Günter Haritz (1948–2025), West German road and track cyclist Günter Havenstein (1928–2008), German long-distance runner Günter Heine (1919–?), German water polo player Günter Hermann (born 1960), German footballer Günter Heßelmann (1925–2010), German middle-distance runner Günter Hirschmann (1935–2023), German footballer Günter Hoge (1940–2017), German footballer Günter Holzvoigt, East German sprint canoeist Günter Jäger (born 1935), German footballer Günter Jochems (1928–1991), German professional ice hockey player Günter Kaltenbrunner (born 1943), Austrian former footballer and manager Günther Kaschlun (1935–2020), West German rower Günter Kaslowski (1934–2001), German cyclist Günter Keute (born 1955), German footballer Günter Kilian (1950–2026), German water polo player Günter Kirchner, West German slalom canoeist Günter Klass (1936–1967), German racing driver Günter Konzack (1930–2008), East German footballer Günter Koren (born 1962), Austrian ice hockey player Günter Kowalewski (born 1943), German wrestler Günter Krammer, West German sprint canoeist Günter Krispel (born 1951), Austrian bobsledder Günter Krivec (born 1942), German athlete Günter Kronsteiner (born 1953), Austrian footballer Günter Kubisch (1939–2005), East German footballer Günter Kutowski (born 1965), German professional footballer Günter Lobing, German lightweight rower Günter Lörke (born 1935), German cyclist Günter Lyhs (1934–2025), German gymnast Günter Malcher (born 1934), German athlete Günter Mielke (1942–2010), West German long-distance runner Günter Nachtigall (born 1930), German gymnast Günter Netzer (born 1944), German footballer Günter Neuburger (born 1954), West German bobsledder Günter Nowatzki, German sprint canoeist Günter Oberhuber (1954–2021), Austrian ice hockey player Günter Orschel (born 1956), Bulgarian equestrian Günter Petersmann (1941–2024), German rower Günter Preuß (born 1936), German footballer Günter Pröpper (born 1941), German professional footballer Gunter Rodríguez (born 1981), Cuban swimmer Günter Sawitzki (1932–2020), German footballer Günter Schaumburg (born 1943), German athlete Günter Schießwald (born 1973), Austrian footballer Günter Schlierkamp (born 1970), German professional bodybuilder Günter Schlipper (born 1962), German footballer Günter Schliwka (1956–2023), German weightlifter Günter Schmid (1932–2005), German motorsport founder and principal Günter Schneider (born 1963), Swiss rower Günter Schroers (born 1939), German rower Günter Schröter (1927–2016), German footballer and coach Günther Schumacher (born 1949), German track and road cyclist Günter Sebert (born 1948), German former footballer and manager Günter Seibold (1936–2013), German footballer Günter Siegmund (1936–2020), East German boxer Günter Spies (born 1948), German gymnast Günter Spindler (born 1949), German wrestler Guenther Steiner (born 1965), former team principal of the Haas F1 Team Günter Stratmann (1931–2010), German fencer Gunter Thiebaut (born 1977), Belgian footballer Gunter Thielen (born 1942), German chief executive Günter Thorhauer (1931–2007), East German footballer Günter Tilch (born 1937), German speed skater Günter Tittes (born 1936), East German breaststroke swimmer Günter Traub (born 1939), German speed skater Gunter Trojovsky, West German slalom canoeist Günter Twiesselmann (1925–2025), German rower
Gunter Van Handenhoven (born 1978), Belgian footballer and team manager Gunter Vanderveeren (born 1970), Belgian tennis player Gunter Verjans (born 1973), Belgian footballer Günter Wienhold (1948–2021), German footballer Günter Wolf (born 1949), German water polo player Günter Zeitler, German handballer Günter Zöller (born 1948), German figure skating coach and former East German competitor
In government and politics Gunther, semi-legendary king of Burgundy Gunther of Bohemia (955–1045), Bohemian hermit Gunther of Cologne (died 873), Roman Catholic archbishop of Cologne Günter Baum (born 1960), German politician and LGBT rights activist Günter Baumann (born 1947), German politician Günter Böhme (politician, born 1925) (1925–2006), German politician Günter Burghardt (born 1941), German lawyer and EU civil servant, EU ambassador to the United States 1999–2004 Günter Deckert (1940–2022), German far-right political activist Günther Denzler (born 1946), German politician Günter Gaus (1929–2004), German political journalist, commentator, television interviewer, diplomat, and "government fixer" Günter Glende (1918–2004), East German party official Günter Guillaume (1927–1995), East German spy Gunter Hadwiger (1949–2021), Austrian politician Günter Henle (1899–1979), German politician, pianist, and music publisher Günther Krause (born 1953), German politician and businessman Günter Krings (born 1969), German lawyer and politician Günter Lach (1954–2021), German politician Günter Mittag (1926–1994), German politician Günter Nooke (born 1959), German politician and former civil rights activist Günther Oettinger (born 1953), German politician Gunter Pleuger (born 1941), German diplomat and politician Günter Rexrodt (1941–2004), German politician Günter Riesen (1892–1951), German Nazi politician Günter Schabowski (1929–2015), East German politician Günter Stempel (1908–1981), German politician and lawyer Günter Verheugen (born 1944), German politician Günter Vetter (1936–2022), Austrian stonemason and politician Günter Vogt (born 1961), Liechtenstein politician Günter von Drenkmann (1910–1974), German lawyer Günter Wächtershäuser (born 1938), German chemist turned patent lawyer
Science and academics Günter Abel (born 1947), German philosopher and former professor Günter Altner (1936–2011), German interdisciplinary active scientist, biologist, Protestant theologian, ecologist, environmentalist, writer, and lecturer Günter Asser (1926–2015), German professor emeritus of logic and mathematics Günter Behnisch (1922–2010), German architect Günter Benser (1931–2025), German Marxist historian Günter Bentele (born 1948), German semiotician Günter Bischof (born 1953), Austrian-American historian and professor Günter Breithardt (born 1944), German physician, cardiologist, and emeritus professor Günter Burg (born 1941), German dermatologist Günter Dreyer (1943–2019), German Egyptologist Günter Dyhrenfurth (1886–1975), German-born, German and Swiss mountaineer, geologist, and Himalayan explorer Günter Faltin (born 1944), German economist and entrepreneur