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The Origins And Meanings Of Common Finnish Last Names

Emily Hutton
  • Last Updated: Oct 4, 2022

A Finnish surname may sound more unique than their English, Swedish, or Danish counterparts. This is because a Finnish surname derives from various origins: they can be ethnic, occupational, toponymic, patronymic, ornamental, or acquired. 

This article will discuss a brief history of Finland’s language, how its linguistic tradition shaped its naming culture, and what some of the most common Finnish surnames mean.

History Of The Finnish Language

The colonization of Finland started in its coastal areas during the middle ages. As a result, Finland became a part of Sweden. Finland was under Sweden’s rule for almost 700 years until it was ceded to Russia in 1809.

In seven centuries of rule, Swedish became the primary language for education, jurisdiction, and administration, while Finnish became the “language of peasants”. The people of Finland aimed to learn the new language to gain wealth, status, and higher education, which resulted in a large Swedish-speaking middle-class population.

In the early 19th century, the Finnish language was still not an official national language, and the Swedish language was used in education, literature, and official government documents. This is why you’ll find that many surnames in Finland are similar to many Swedish and Nordic names.

In 1835, the epic poem “Kalevala” was published, empowering the people of Finland to feel proud of their language. Over the next century, Finnish became the primary language in government and education and eventually achieved its official status in 1863. Both Finnish and Swedish were listed as national languages in Finland’s 1919 constitution.

Evolution Of Finnish Surnames

In 1921, Finnish family surnames became mandatory for all residents. If a person did not have their own surname, they would typically use a homestead name. People who lived in homesteads were often farmhands, Finnish families, and other workers. To further differentiate members, affixes were used in surnames.

There were also other ways to acquire a surname in Finland. When soldiers enlisted in the army, they were assigned new titles or surnames. The new surname would be used by the soldier for the duration of their service in the military. Military-issued surnames were often related to the soldier’s cottage, where every soldier in that cottage bore the same surname. 

New Finnish last names were also introduced when people from other Scandinavian countries came to Finland. Those from the middle classes and upper classes often used Scandinavian titles to reflect their economic status. Finnish nobility, trying to represent their government positions or achievements, sometimes discarded their Finnish surname and switched to German or Swedish surnames. Meanwhile, the clergy often took on Latin surnames.

During the early 20th century, it was compulsory for residents of Finland to have a surname. Since it was easier and more convenient, many people used surnames that indicated their place of residence. More than a third of Finnish surnames end with “-nen”, which denotes being from a certain place. 

FINNISH SURNAME ORIGINS

Ethnic Origin

Ethnic origin refers to specific “roots” of a person and should not be confused with nationality, citizenship, language, or birthplace. For example, a person with Finnish citizenship may be of Chinese ethnic origin and thus have a Chinese surname.

Occupational Origin

Surnames fall under this category when a person or family is named after an occupation. An occupational name was widely used by workers, making it easier to identify the role each person played in their small communities. 

In Finland, they add the suffix “-la” for occupational and place names. As an example, the name “Karjala” is an occupational name given to someone who tends to cattle. The name comes from the root word “karja”, which means “cattle”.

Toponymic Origin

Toponymic names are very popular in Finland. Also known as a habitational name, a toponymic surname is based on a person’s place of origin, residence, type of land they own, and sometimes the topographic features of these locations. 

For example, the name “Jokela” could have once referred to someone who resided along the river. Its root word is “joki”, the Finnish word for river.

Acquired/Ornamental Origin

When a surname is not based on a specific attribute such as occupation or location, it is likely of ornamental origin. This naming practice came from the common folk’s desire to have personal names like the nobles did, so they made up names for themselves. Ornamental surnames became common due to war displacement, immigration, former enslavement, and religious conversion.

An example of an ornamental name is the name “Elo”, derived from a word that translates to “harvest” and can also mean “life”.

Patronymic Origin

When a surname is not based on a specific attribute such as occupation or location, it is likely of ornamental origin. This naming practice came from the common folk’s desire to have personal names like the nobles did, so they made up names for themselves. Ornamental surnames became common due to war displacement, immigration, former enslavement, and religious conversion.

An example of an ornamental name is the name “Elo”, derived from a word that translates to “harvest” and can also mean “life”.

Finnish Surname Traditions

Eastern Finland’s surname traditions started in the 13th century when people often moved for agricultural reasons. As families moved around, they changed their names depending on their new location, often taking on many names throughout their life. 

In the mid-16th century, Eastern Finnish names were assigned automatically by heredity. Many of the oldest surnames originated from the patriarchs of the families. Toward the 17th and 18th centuries, new surnames emerged as families took on the name of their environment or residence, often combined with a surname suffix. 

Women often adapted the patriarchal surname with a feminine structure, adding the “-tar” surname suffix to form a female version of the name. For example, a Finnish man would have the last name Puumalainen, while a Finnish woman would use the feminine Puumalatar. However, this practice did not last past the 19th century. 

In the early 20th century, Western Finnish last names were often derived from a person’s connection to their homestead or farm. Farm names usually incorporated the suffix “-la”. For example, a person who originated from the farm of Antti might have the surname Anttila.

Much like in Eastern Finland, Western Finnish surnames changed whenever a person or family relocated to a different homestead or farm. 

Common Finnish Last Names

  • Aalto: A Finnish personal name of ornamental origin that means “wave”
  • Aho: Comes from the Finnish word “Aho”, which means “forest clearing” or “glade”
  • Ahonen: A combination of “aho” and the suffix “-nen”
  • Anttila: A topographic farm name for someone who lived on or worked at a farm
  • Halko: A word that means “split log” or “piece of wood”
  • Hamalainen: A surname for someone living in the Hame province of Central Finland
  • Harju: A topographic name derived from a Finnish word meaning “ridge”
  • Hanninen: A name derived from the Germanic personal name “Johannes”
  • Hannula: From the word “Hannu”, a derivative of the German personal name Johannes
  • Heikkinen: A surname that combines the name “Heikki” and “nen”
  • Hiltunen: From old Germanic “Hild”, meaning “battle”.
  • Honkala: An ornamental name derived from the word “honka”, meaning “pine tree”
  • Järvinen: A topographic surname of a person from “Jarvi”, meaning “lake”
  • Lahti: An ornamental surname common in southwestern Finland that means “cove”
  • Lepisto: A toponymic surname, “leppa” is from the Finnish word meaning “alder tree”
  • Lehtinen: Based on the word “lehti”, which means “leaf”
  • Korhonen: A derivative of “kohto”, which means “deaf person”
  • Koivisto: A Finnish habitational surname derived from the Finnish word “koivu”, which means “birch tree”
  • Leppanen: Comes from the word “Leppa”, meaning “alder tree” in Finnish
  • Makela: Derived from the word “maki”, which means “hill”
  • Makinen: Similar to “Makela” in meaning
  • Ranta: A name for someone who lives by the shore
  • Saari: A surname for someone living on an island
  • Saksa: Derived from “Sachs”, a Germanic word that means “Saxon”
  • Vitta: A toponymic surname derived from the Old German word “vitu”, which means “forest”

Conclusion

There are many things that you can learn about Finland’s history and culture just by looking into its names. If you want to know more about your family’s roots, your Finnish last name is a good place to start your research!

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