lastnamegenerators

Finnish Last Names

These Finnish last names range from the ever-present Korhonen, Virtanen and Mäkinen to rarer nature names like Kuusisto and Pihlaja, listed A to Z with meanings so you can see the lakes, hills and forests hidden inside them.

258 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Aalto

    Wave, a nature name

  • Aaltonen

    From aalto, wave

  • Ahonen

    From aho, forest glade or clearing

  • Anttila

    Place of Antti, a farm name

  • Åström

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, river stream

B

  • Backman

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, hill or brook dweller

  • Björklund

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, birch grove

  • Blomqvist

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, flower twig

E

  • Ekholm

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, oak islet

  • Enqvist

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, juniper twig

  • Eskola

    Place of Esko, a farm name

F

  • Forsman

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, dweller by rapids

G

  • Granholm

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, spruce islet

  • Grönlund

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, green grove

  • Grönroos

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, green rose

H

  • Hakala

    Place by a pasture, farm name

  • Hakkarainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Hakulinen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Halonen

    From halo, split log

  • Hämäläinen

    Person from the Häme region

  • Hänninen

    Possibly from Hannes or Hanno

  • Hannula

    Place of Hannu, a farm name

  • Harju

    Ridge or esker, nature name

  • Harjula

    Place on a ridge

  • Hartikainen

    Possibly from a Germanic personal name

  • Heikkilä

    Place of Heikki, a farm name

  • Heikkinen

    From Heikki, Finnish form of Henrik

  • Heino

    Possibly from heinä, hay, or a personal name

  • Heinonen

    Possibly from Heino, a form of Henrik

  • Heiskanen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Hietala

    Sandy place, from hieta, sand

  • Hiltunen

    Possibly from a Germanic personal name

  • Hirvonen

    From hirvi, elk or moose

  • Hokkanen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Holmström

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, islet stream

  • Holopainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Honkanen

    From honka, tall pine

  • Huhtala

    Place by a burnt clearing

  • Huttunen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Hyttinen

    Possibly from hytti, cabin or hut

  • Hyvärinen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Hyvönen

    From hyvä, good

I

  • Ikonen

    Possibly from ikoni, icon, or a personal name

J

  • Jaakkola

    Place of Jaakko, a farm name

  • Jääskeläinen

    Person from Jääski parish in Karelia

  • Jantunen

    Possibly from Jantu, a personal name

  • Järvinen

    From järvi, lake

  • Jokela

    Place by a river, farm name

  • Jokinen

    From joki, river

  • Juntunen

    Northern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Jussila

    Place of Jussi, a farm name

K

  • Kallio

    Rock or cliff, nature name

  • Kanerva

    Heather, a nature name

  • Kangas

    Heath or dry pine moor

  • Karjalainen

    Person from Karelia

  • Kärkkäinen

    Possibly from kärkäs, eager

  • Karppinen

    Possibly from Karppi, form of Polycarp

  • Karvonen

    From karva, hair

  • Kauppinen

    From kauppa, trade or merchant

  • Kekkonen

    Possibly from kekko, a stack

  • Kemppainen

    Possibly from kemppi, a sturdy fellow

  • Keränen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Ketola

    Place by a meadow, from keto

  • Kettunen

    From kettu, fox

  • Kiiski

    Ruffe, a small fish

  • Kinnunen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Kiuru

    Skylark, a bird name

  • Kivelä

    Stony place, from kivi, stone

  • Kivimäki

    Stony hill, a nature name

  • Kivinen

    From kivi, stone

  • Koistinen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Koivisto

    Birch grove, a nature name

  • Koivula

    Place of birches, farm name

  • Kokko

    Eagle or bonfire, nature name

  • Kokkonen

    From kokko, eagle or bonfire

  • Kolehmainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Komulainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Koponen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Korhonen

    Possibly from korho, deaf or proud

  • Korpela

    Place in the wild forest

  • Korpi

    Deep backwoods forest

  • Koski

    Rapids, a nature name

  • Koskinen

    From koski, rapids

  • Kosonen

    Possibly from Koso, a personal name

  • Kukkonen

    From kukko, rooster

  • Kurki

    Crane, the bird

  • Kuusela

    Place of spruces, farm name

  • Kuusisto

    Spruce grove, a nature name

  • Kytölä

    Place of burnt-over land

L

  • Laakso

    Valley, a nature name

  • Laaksonen

    From laakso, valley

  • Lahti

    Bay, a nature name

  • Lahtinen

    From lahti, bay

  • Laine

    Wave, an adopted nature name

  • Laitinen

    Possibly from Laiti, a personal name

  • Lampinen

    From lampi, pond or small lake

  • Lappalainen

    Person from Lapland or Lappi

  • Lappi

    Lapland, or a person from there

  • Lassila

    Place of Lassi, a farm name

  • Laukkanen

    Possibly from laukka, gallop

  • Lehtimäki

    Leafy hill, a nature name

  • Lehtinen

    From lehti, leaf

  • Lehto

    Grove, a nature name

  • Lehtola

    Place by a grove, farm name

  • Lehtonen

    From lehto, grove

  • Leino

    Possibly from leino, a poetic word for melancholy

  • Leinonen

    Possibly from Leino, a personal name

  • Lepistö

    Alder grove, a nature name

  • Leppänen

    From leppä, alder tree

  • Liimatainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Lindfors

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, linden rapids

  • Lindholm

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, linden islet

  • Lindqvist

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, linden twig

  • Lindroos

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, linden and rose

  • Linna

    Castle or fortress, place name

  • Liukkonen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Luoma

    Brook or small stream

  • Luukkonen

    From Luukas, Finnish form of Luke

M

  • Mäenpää

    Top of the hill

  • Mäkelä

    Place on a hill, from mäki

  • Mäki

    Hill, a nature name

  • Mäkinen

    From mäki, hill

  • Mannerheim

    Swedish-speaking Finnish noble family name

  • Manninen

    Possibly from Manni, form of Magnus

  • Markkanen

    From Markku, Finnish form of Mark

  • Martikainen

    From Martti, Finnish form of Martin

  • Mattila

    Place of Matti, a farm name

  • Meriläinen

    From meri, sea

  • Miettinen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Mikkola

    Place of Mikko, a farm name

  • Mikkonen

    From Mikko, form of Michael

  • Moilanen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Mononen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Mustonen

    From musta, black

N

  • Nevalainen

    From neva, open bog or fen

  • Niemelä

    Place on a peninsula

  • Niemi

    Peninsula or cape, nature name

  • Nieminen

    From niemi, peninsula or cape

  • Nikula

    Place of Niku, from Nikolaus

  • Niskanen

    Possibly from niska, neck or ridge

  • Nordman

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, northerner

  • Nousiainen

    Possibly from Nousiainen parish

  • Nurmi

    Meadow or lawn, nature name

  • Nurminen

    From nurmi, meadow

  • Nuutinen

    From Nuutti, Finnish form of Knut

  • Nyberg

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, new mountain

  • Nykänen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Nyman

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, new man

O

  • Ojala

    Place by a ditch or brook

  • Oksanen

    From oksa, branch

  • Ollila

    Place of Olli, a farm name

  • Östman

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, easterner

P

  • Paananen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Paavola

    Place of Paavo, a farm name

  • Pakarinen

    Possibly from Russian pekar, baker

  • Palo

    Burnt clearing or forest fire

  • Partanen

    From parta, beard

  • Parviainen

    Possibly from parvi, flock or swarm

  • Pasanen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Pekkala

    Place of Pekka, a farm name

  • Pekkarinen

    Possibly from Pekka, form of Peter

  • Pelkonen

    Possibly from pelko, fear

  • Peltola

    Place by a field, farm name

  • Peltonen

    From pelto, field

  • Penttinen

    From Pentti, Finnish form of Benedict

  • Perälä

    Place at the far end

  • Pesonen

    Possibly from pesä, nest

  • Pietilä

    Place of Pietari, a farm name

  • Pihlaja

    Rowan tree, a nature name

  • Piirainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Pitkänen

    From pitkä, long or tall

  • Pulkkinen

    Possibly from pulkka, a sled

  • Puustinen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

R

  • Raatikainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Rajala

    Place by a border

  • Ranta

    Shore, a nature name

  • Rantala

    Place by the shore

  • Rantanen

    From ranta, shore

  • Räsänen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Rautiainen

    From rauta, iron, possibly a smith

  • Rautio

    Smith, from rauta, iron

  • Repo

    Fox, a nature name

  • Riihimäki

    Hill with a drying barn

  • Rinne

    Slope or hillside, nature name

  • Rissanen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Runeberg

    Swedish-speaking Finnish family of poet Runeberg

  • Ruotsalainen

    A Swede, person of Swedish origin

  • Rytkönen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

S

  • Saarela

    Island place, a farm name

  • Saari

    Island, a nature name

  • Saarikoski

    Island rapids, a nature name

  • Saarinen

    From saari, island

  • Sallinen

    Possibly from a personal name

  • Salmela

    Place by a strait

  • Salminen

    From salmi, strait or sound

  • Salo

    Wilderness or forested land

  • Salonen

    From salo, wilderness forest

  • Sandell

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, from sand

  • Savolainen

    Person from the Savo region

  • Seppä

    Smith, an occupational name

  • Seppälä

    Smith's place, a farm name

  • Sihvonen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Sillanpää

    End of the bridge

  • Sipilä

    Possibly place of Sipi, from Sigfrid

  • Sirviö

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Sjöblom

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, lake flower

  • Söderholm

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, southern islet

  • Soininen

    Possibly from Soini, a personal name

  • Sorsa

    Wild duck, a bird name

  • Stenbäck

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, stone brook

  • Stenroos

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, stone rose

  • Strömberg

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, stream mountain

  • Suhonen

    Eastern Finnish name, possibly from a personal name

  • Sundström

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, strait stream

  • Suomalainen

    A Finn, Finnish person

  • Suominen

    From Suomi, Finland

  • Syrjälä

    Place on the edge or outskirts

T

  • Tahvanainen

    From Tahvo, form of Stephen

  • Taipale

    Isthmus or portage, nature name

  • Tanskanen

    From Tanska, Denmark

  • Tervo

    From tervas, resinous pinewood used for tar

  • Tiainen

    From tiainen, titmouse bird

  • Tikkanen

    From tikka, woodpecker

  • Tirkkonen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Toivanen

    Possibly from toivo, hope

  • Toivonen

    From toivo, hope

  • Tolonen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Tuomela

    Place of bird cherries, farm name

  • Tuomi

    Bird cherry tree

  • Tuominen

    From tuomi, bird cherry tree

  • Tuomisto

    Bird cherry grove, nature name

  • Tuovinen

    Possibly from Tuovi, a personal name

  • Turpeinen

    From turve, peat or turf

  • Turunen

    Possibly a person from Turku

U

  • Utriainen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Uusitalo

    New house or farm

V

  • Vainio

    Cultivated field or meadow

  • Väisänen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Valkonen

    From valkea, white

  • Valtonen

    Possibly from valta, power

  • Vanhanen

    From vanha, old

  • Varis

    Crow, a bird name

  • Vartiainen

    From vartija, guard or watchman

  • Vehviläinen

    Eastern Finnish name of uncertain origin

  • Vesterinen

    From Swedish väster, west

  • Viitanen

    From viita, young thicket

  • Viljanen

    Possibly from vilja, grain

  • Virta

    Stream or current, nature name

  • Virtanen

    From virta, stream or current

  • Voutilainen

    Possibly from vouti, bailiff

  • Vuori

    Mountain, a nature name

  • Vuorinen

    From vuori, mountain

W

  • Wahlroos

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, grassy bank and rose

  • Westerlund

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, western grove

  • Wikström

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, bay stream

Y

  • Ylinen

    Possibly from ylä, upper

  • Ylitalo

    Upper house or farm

  • Ylönen

    Possibly from ylä, upper

Generate random finnish surnames

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Results (6)

  • Jussila

    Place of Jussi, a farm name

  • Strömberg

    Swedish-speaking Finnish name, stream mountain

  • Ketola

    Place by a meadow, from keto

  • Kekkonen

    Possibly from kekko, a stack

  • Salminen

    From salmi, strait or sound

  • Koski

    Rapids, a nature name

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    The nature words inside Finnish last names

    The most frequent names in Finland are nature words with an ending attached. Virtanen comes from virta, a stream or current, Mäkinen from mäki, a hill, Nieminen from niemi, a headland, Koskinen from koski, rapids, and Järvinen from järvi, a lake. Lehtonen is built on lehto, a grove, Saarinen on saari, an island, and Salminen on salmi, a strait. Korhonen, at the top of most rankings, is older, and its root is less certain.

    Some top names skip the ending altogether. Laine means wave, Niemi headland, Salo a wooded wilderness, Kallio bedrock, Harju a ridge and Nurmi grass or meadow. Others add -la or -lä, meaning a place: Mäkelä is the hill place and Heikkilä the farm of someone called Heikki, a Finnish form of Henry. Once you know twenty or thirty basic words, the meanings of most names in the list become easy to guess.

    Regional and animal names across the list

    A distinct group of names ending in -lainen or -läinen tells you where a family came from. Karjalainen means a person from Karelia, Savolainen from Savo, Hämäläinen from Häme and Lappalainen from Lapland, while Suomalainen simply means a Finn and Ruotsalainen a Swede. Names like these seem often to have begun as labels for newcomers, so a Karjalainen family may have lived outside Karelia for centuries without the name ever changing.

    Birds and fish appear too. Varis is a crow, Kurki a crane, Sorsa a duck and Kiiski a ruffe, a small freshwater fish, and trees give Koivisto, a birch grove, Kuusisto, a spruce grove, and Pihlaja, the rowan. A few names in the list belong to famous Finns, such as Nurmi, the runner Paavo Nurmi, Kekkonen, the long-serving president Urho Kekkonen, and Sillanpää, the Nobel prize winning writer. They are ordinary family names shared by many unrelated people.

    Tips for searching Finnish last names

    Finnish uses ä and ö as separate vowels, and they change meaning, so mäki (hill) and maki are not the same word. In Finnish alphabetical order ä and ö come at the very end of the alphabet, after z and å, but on this page the letter bar files them with a and o. The search box ignores the dots too, so typing makinen finds Mäkinen and typing jarvinen finds Järvinen.

    The search also reads meanings, so typing lake, island or river gathers the landscape names in one place, and typing farm lists many of the -la names. Swedish-speaking Finnish names such as Lindroos and Söderholm are mixed into the same A to Z order, so a search for roos is the quickest way to see several together. For a character, pairing a Finnish first name like Aino or Juha with a name you can translate adds a quiet layer of meaning.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the most common Finnish last names?

    Korhonen, Virtanen, Mäkinen, Nieminen, Mäkelä, Hämäläinen, Laine, Heikkinen, Koskinen and Järvinen usually head the rankings. Most describe the landscape, such as hills, headlands, rapids and lakes, which fits a country where many families were named after the land around their home.

    What does Virtanen mean?

    Virtanen comes from virta, meaning stream or current, with the common -nen ending. It was a popular choice in the early twentieth century, when many Finns replaced Swedish-language surnames with Finnish ones, and it is now one of the most frequent names in the country.

    Why do some Finnish names end in -lainen?

    The -lainen or -läinen ending means a person from a place. Karjalainen is someone from Karelia and Savolainen someone from Savo. The ending is the same one used in everyday words, so suomalainen, meaning a Finn, is also a surname.

    Can I type Finnish names without ä and ö?

    Yes. The search on this page ignores the dots, so makela finds Mäkelä. When you write the name for real use, keep the dots, since Finns treat ä and ö as separate letters and dropping them can change the meaning of a word or make a name look misspelled.

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