According to Finnish law, a person’s personal name consists of a personal name and surname. It is also allowed to assign no more than three names during the registration of a child’s birth or baptism. But basically only one or two are common. According to Finnish ancient customs, the firstborn is named after the paternal side of the grandfather or grandmother, the second children are referred to as maternal grandparents; The following are called both parents and close relatives, godparents. Another feature of Finnish names is that they are in front of the surname, do not bow and pronounce with emphasis on the first syllable.
Along with this, certain requirements are presented to the names:
- It is not recommended to name sisters and brothers with the same first names;
- You cannot call a child offensive words;
- it is undesirable to use a surname as a personal name;
- registration of diminutive words instead of full ones is allowed.
In Finland, since the 19th century, all names are selected from the official almanac, which was previously published by the Royal Academy, and is now graduated from the University of Helsinki. The tradition of forming a nominal almanac and fixing words in it is still supported. Today, the almanac issued by the University of Helsinki has recorded about 35 thousand names used throughout Finland.
The whole variety of names of a person assigned to him at birth is classified as follows:
- words that come from the Catholic calendar and the Bible;
- Finnish names derived from Swedish;
- borrowed from the Russian calendar;
- personal name of a person from Finnish words that were fashionable in the 19th and 20th centuries. Suppose, if you translate the word ainoa from Finnish, it will mean the only word, and if you translate the word “gift” into Finnish, you get lahja;
- names formed from popular European.
Over time, the Finnish personal name of a person from birth more and more turns into an international, pan-European name. And yet now in Finland there is such a tendency: parents with great desire call the child some kind of native Finnish word. A similar return to the old names in our days has not lost its original meaning. Here are some examples.
Male Finnish names:
Ahde (Ahde) - a hill;
Kai (Kai) - the earth;
Kari (Kari) - underwater rock;
Louhi - rock;
Lumi (Lumi) - snow;
Merituul (Merituul) - sea wind;
Niklas (Niclas) - the peace ruler;
Ozo (Otso) - a bear;
Peka (Pekka) - the ruler of fields and crops;
Rasmus (Rasmus) - beloved or desired;
Sirka (Sirkka) - cricket;
Terho - acorn;
Tuuli (Tuuli) - the wind;
Libra (Vesa) - escape;
Ville is the protector.
Female Finnish names:
Aino (Ainno) - the only one;
Ayli is a saint;
Aamu-Usva (Aamu-Usva) - morning fog;
Vanamo (Vanamo) - probably "twice blooming";
Helena (Helena) - torch, lamp;
Irene (Irene) - bringing peace;
Kia (Kia) - a swallow;
Kukka (Kukka) - a flower;
Kulliki (Kulliki) - a woman;
Raya (Raiya) - the boss;
Satu is a fairy tale;
Saima (Saima) - from the name of the Finnish lake;
Hilda (Hilda) - fighting.
Unelma is a dream.
Evelina (Evelina) - life force.
Summing up, let’s say that all Finnish names are a cultural monument. After all, the personal name of a person is not only the official designation of a person, but also a historical beginning, protecting the memory of the past.
