Gunawardena or Gunawardene is a Sinhalese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
A. P. N. C. De S. Vaas Gunawardene (1961–1983), Sri Lankan army officer
Ajit Gunewardene, Sri Lankan businessman
Arachchige Gunawardene (born 1977), Sri Lankan cricketer
Aruna Gunawardene (born 1969), Sri Lankan cricketer
Avishka Gunawardene (born 1977), Sri Lankan cricketer
Dayananda Gunawardena (1934–1993), Sri Lankan playwright and actor
Dinesh Gunawardena (born 1949), Sri Lankan politician
Geethika Gunawardena, Sri Lankan beach volleyball player
Gitanjana Gunawardena (born 1952), Sri Lankan politician
H. C. Goonewardene, Ceylonese civil servant
Indika Gunawardena, Sri Lankan politician
James Goonewardene (1921–1997), Sri Lankan writer
Jeremy Gunawardena, American mathematician
Leslie Goonewardena (1909–1983), Sri Lankan politician
Nalaka Gunawardene (born 1966), Sri Lankan writer
Norman Gunewardene, Sri Lankan businessman
Otara Gunewardene, Sri Lankan businesswoman
Philip Gunawardena (1901–1972), Ceylonese politician
Prasanna Gunawardena, Sri Lankan politician
Sajin Vass Gunawardena (born 1973), Sri Lankan politician
Sarana Gunawardena (born 1964), Sri Lankan politician
Sarath Gunawardena (born 1949), Sri Lankan politician
Senerat Gunewardene (1899–1981), Ceylonese diplomat and politician
Vivienne Goonewardena (1916–1996), Sri Lankan politician
Don Carlin Gunawardena (1899-1979), Sri Lankan Emeritus Professor of Botany
