Johann Christoph Gatterer (13 July 1727 – 5 April 1799) was a German historian who was a native of Lichtenau.

He was the father of cameralist Christoph Wilhelm Jacob Gatterer (1759–1838) and poet Magdalena Philippine Engelhard (1756–1831).

Gatterer used the phrase nexus rerum universalis to represent "a universal connection of things in the world".

His focus dealt largely with ancillary disciplines such as genealogy, heraldry, diplomatics, and physical geography, and he treated these subjects from a modern scientific viewpoint.

Since 1954 the "Johann Christoph-Gatterer Medal" is awarded by the Genealogisch-Heraldische Gesellschaft Göttingen (GHGG) for scientific achievements in the field of genealogy and heraldry.