Finnish Surnames - Other

Surnames/Finnish Surnames/Finnish Surnames - Other

Finnish surnames which are not related to given names (see Finnish Surnames - Given Names) usually derive from farm names, other place names or nicknames:

A

• Aalto - Finnish aalto = 'wave'
• Aaltonen - Finnish aalto = 'wave'
• Aho - Finnish aho = 'glade'
• Ahola - Finnish aho = 'glade'
• Ahonen - Finnish aho = 'glade'
• Alatalo - Finnish ala = 'lower' and talo = 'house'
• Arola - Finnish aro = 'steppe'

H

• Haapala - Finnish haapa = 'aspen'
• Haapalainen - Finnish haapa = 'aspen'
• Hakala - Finnish haka = 'pasture'
• Harju - Finnish harju = 'esker'
• Harjula - Finnish harju = 'esker'
• Harmaajärvi - Finnish harmaa = 'grey' and järvi = 'lake'
• Hautala - Finnish hauta = 'pit'
• Hietala - Finnish hieta = 'fine sand'
• Hirvonen - Finnish hirvi = 'elk'
• Honkala - Finnish honka = 'pine tree'
• Honkanen - Finnish honka = 'pine tree'
• Huhtala - Finnish huhta = 'cleared woodland'
• Huttunen - Finnish huttu = 'porridge'
• Häkkinen - Finnish häkki = 'ox'
• Hämäläinen - from Häme

I

• Ilves - Finnish ilves = 'Lynx'
• Isotalo - Finnish iso = 'big' and talo = 'house'

J

• Joensuu - Finnish joensuu = 'river mouth'
• Jokela - Finnish joki = 'river'
• Jokelainen - Finnish joki = 'river'
• Jokinen - Finnish joki = 'river'
• Joutsen - Finnish joutsen = 'swan'
• Järvelä - Finnish järvi = 'lake'
• Järveläinen - Finnish järvi = 'lake'
• Järvenpää - Finnish järvenpää = 'river's end'
• Järvi - Finnish järvi = 'lake'
• Järvinen - Finnish järvi = 'lake'

K

• Kallio - Finnish kallio = 'rock'
• Kanerva - Finnish kanerva = 'heather'
• Kare - Finnish kare = 'ripple'
• Kari - Finnish kari = 'skerry'
• Karjalainen - from Karelia
• Karppinen - Finnish karppi = 'trader in the Hanseatic League', 'German'
• Keskitalo - Finnish keski = 'middle' and talo = 'house'
• Ketola - Finnish keto = 'pasture'
• Kettunen - Finnish kettu = 'fox'
• Kivelä - Finnish kivi = 'stone'
• Kivi - Finnish kivi = 'stone'
• Kivimäki - Finnish kivimäki = 'stone hill'
• Kivinen - Finnish kivi = 'stone'
• Koivisto - Finnish koivisto = 'birch forest'
• Koivu - Finnish koivu = 'birch'
• Koivula - Finnish koivu = 'birch'
• Kokko - Finnish kokko = 'eagle'
• Kokkonen - Finnish kokko = 'eagle'
• Korhonen - Finnish korho = 'deaf' or 'proud'
• Korpela - Finnish korpi = 'deep forest'
• Koskela - Finnish koski = 'rapids'
• Koski - Finnish koski = 'rapids'
• Koskinen - Finnish koski = 'rapids'
• Kotka - Finnish kotka = 'eagle'
• Kujala - Finnish kuja = 'alley'
• Kukkonen - Finnish kukko = 'cock'
• Kulmala - Finnish kulma = 'corner'
• Kumpulainen - Finnish kumpu = 'hummock'
• Kuoppala - Finnish kuoppa = 'pit'
• Kuusela - Finnish kuusi = 'spruce'
• Kärkkäinen - Finnish kärkäs = 'eager'

L

• Laakonen - Finnish laakso = 'valley'
• Laakso - Finnish laakso = 'valley'
• Laaksonen - Finnish laakso = 'valley'
• Lahti - Finnish lahti = 'bay'
• Lahtinen - Finnish lahti = 'bay'
• Laine - Finnish laine = 'wave'
• Lappalainen - from Lappi
• Lappi - Finnish Lappi = 'Lappi'
• Latvala - Finnish latva = 'headwaters'
• Laukkanen - Finnish laukka = 'gallop'
• Lehtinen - Finnish lehti = 'leaf'
• Lehto - Finnish lehto = 'grove'
• Lehtola - Finnish lehto = 'grove'
• Lehtonen - Finnish lehto = 'grove'
• Leppälä - Finnish leppä = 'alder'
• Leppänen - Finnish leppä = 'alder'
• Linna - Finnish linna = 'castle'
• Luoma - Finnish luoma = 'brook'

M

• Meri - Finnish meri = 'sea'
• Mustonen - Finnish musta = 'black'
• Mäenpää - Finnish mäen = 'hill's' and pää = 'crest'
• Mäkelä - Finnish mäki = 'hill'
• Mäkeläinen - Finnish mäki = 'hill'
• Mäki - Finnish mäki = 'hill'
• Mäkilä - Finnish mäki = 'hill'
• Mäkinen - Finnish mäki = 'hill'
• Mäkitalo - Finnish mäki = 'hill' and talo = 'house'
• Mäntylä - Finnish mänty = 'pine tree'

N

• Nevalainen - Finnish neva = 'swamp'
• Niemelä - Finnish niemi = 'cape'
• Niemi - Finnish niemi = 'cape'
• Nieminen - Finnish niemi = 'cape'
• Niskala - Finnish niska = 'source' (of a river) or 'crest' (of a hill) or 'neck'
• Niskanen - Finnish niska = 'source' (of a river) or 'crest' (of a hill) or 'neck'
• Nurmi - Finnish nurmi = 'meadow', 'lawn'
• Nurminen - Finnish nurmi = 'meadow', 'lawn'

O

• Oiva - Finnish oiva = 'excellent'
• Ojala - Finnish oja = 'ditch'
• Oksanen - Finnish oksa = 'branch'

P

• Pajari - Finnish pajari = 'boyar' (Russian noble)
• Palo - Finnish palo = 'burnt-out clearing in the woods'
• Partanen - Finnish parta = 'beard'
• Peltola - Finnish pelto = 'field'
• Peltonen - Finnish pelto = 'field'
• Peura - Finnish peura = 'reindeer'
• Pitkänen - Finnish pitkä = 'tall'
• Puujalka - Finnish puujalka = 'wooden leg'

R

• Raita - Finnish raita = 'willow'
• Rajala - Finnish raja = 'border'
• Ranta - Finnish ranta = 'shore'
• Rantala - Finnish ranta = 'shore'
• Rantanen - Finnish ranta = 'shore'
• Rautio - Finnish rautio = 'smith'
• Repo - Finnish repo = 'fox'
• Rinne - Finnish rinne = 'hillside'
• Ruoho - Finnish ruoho = 'grass'
• Ruotsalainen - Finnish ruotsalainen = 'Swede'

S

• Saarela - Finnish saari = 'island'
• Saari - Finnish saari = 'island'
• Saarinen - Finnish saari = 'island'
• Salmela - Finnish salmi = 'sound', 'inlet'
• Salmi - Finnish salmi = 'sound', 'inlet'
• Salminen - Finnish salmi = 'sound', 'inlet'
• Salo - Finnish salo = 'wooded island', 'wild forest'
• Salonen - Finnish salo = 'wooded island', 'wild forest'
• Savela - Finnish savi = 'clay'
• Savolainen - from Savo
• Seppä - Finnish seppä = 'smith', 'blacksmith'
• Seppänen - Finnish seppä = 'smith', 'blacksmith'
• Siltala - Finnish silta = 'bridge'
• Suomalainen - Finnish suomalainen = 'Finn'

T

• Takala - Finnish taka = 'backside'
• Tammi - Finnish tammi = 'oak'
• Tamminen - Finnish tammi = 'oak'
• Tanner - Finnish tanner = 'field', 'ground'
• Terho - Finnish terho = 'acorn'
• Tikkanen - Finnish tikka = 'woodpecker'
• Toivanen - Finnish toivo = 'hope'
• Tuomela - Finnish tuomi = 'bird-cherry'
• Tuominen - Finnish tuomi = 'bird-cherry'

U

• Uljas - Finnish uljas = 'valiant'
• Uusitalo - Finnish uusi = 'new' and talo = 'house'

V/W

• Vainio - Finnish vainio = 'field'
• Vanhanen - Finnish vanha = 'old'
• Vanhatalo - Finnish vanha = 'old' and talo = 'house'
• Varma - Finnish varma = 'sure', 'certain'
• Vartijainen = Finnish vartija = 'guard' (see also VARD)
• Venäläinen - Finnish venäläinen = 'Russian'
• Vepsäläinen = from Veps
• Vesa - Finnish vesa = 'young tree'
• Viitala - Finnish viita = 'thicket'
• Viitanen - Finnish viita = 'thicket'
• Virolainen - Finnish virolainen = 'Estonian'
• Virta - Finnish virta = 'stream'
• Virtanen - Finnish virta = 'stream'
• Wirtanen - Finnish virta = 'stream'
• Vuorela - Finnish vuori = 'mountain'
• Vuorinen - Finnish vuori = 'mountain'
• Väisänen - Finnish väisä = 'signpost on ice' or väisäkkä = 'crafty'

Y

• Ylitalo - Finnish yli = 'upper' and talo = 'house'