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Finnish Names

emilyfalls13
By emilyfalls13
Updated Tue May 23 2023
Names I like that honor my Finnish heritage
  1. Mika

    • Origin:

      Japanese, Slovene, Hebrew, English, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful fragrance; who is like God?; follower of Demeter"

    • Description:

      Mika is a sparky and stylish Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. Also used as a Slovene and Hebrew diminutive for Mihaela and Michaela, as an alternative spelling to the Biblical Micah, and as a Greek diminutive of Dimitra (via Mimika), it is a truly multi-cultural choice.
  2. Lumi

    • Origin:

      Finnish

    • Meaning:

      "snow"

    • Description:

      Lumi may be a rare girls' name in the USA and England, but it comes in the Top 50 in Finland, where it means snow. Given the popularity of Winter, Holly, Ivy and many other wintery-christmassy names, we think that short and spunky Lumi definitely has potential for greater usage outside its home country as one of the more unusual names for Christmas babies.
  3. Oona

    • Origin:

      Irish, variation of Una

    • Meaning:

      "lamb"

    • Description:

      Oona is a name made famous by Eugene O'Neill's daughter, who became Charlie Chaplin's wife. One of the original Oona's granddaughters was named after her, and is now an actress famous in her own right for playing Talisa of Volantis in HBO's "Game of Thrones." The double-o beginning gives their name a lot of oomph.
  4. Malin

    • Origin:

      Bulgarian, English

    • Meaning:

      "raspberry; little warrior"

    • Description:

      An international and unisex choice, Malin is a rare northern English name associated with the city of Sheffield. In this case, it would mean "little warrior". As a Bulgarian choice, it is a masculine form of Malina, a Slavic name meaning "raspberry". It is more common as a feminine name, however, as a contracted form of Magdalene and Madeleine.
  5. Lars

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian from Latin Laurentius

    • Meaning:

      "crowned with laurel"

    • Description:

      Lars is a perfect candidate for a cross-cultural passport: it has been heard often enough here to sound familiar and friendly, yet retains the charisma of a charming foreigner.
  6. Sade

    • Origin:

      Finnish, Nigerian and Yoruba, diminutive of Folashade

    • Meaning:

      "rain; honor bestows a crown"

    • Description:

      The one-named singer clarified the confusing pronunciation on this one (in her case, it's shah-DAY), but a number of parents have looked for more phonetic spellings. The Finnish version means "rain."
  7. Matias

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Matthias

    • Description:

      The single T version of Matias is, like Mateo, the Spanish variation of the Hebrew Biblical Matthias or Matthew, while the double T version as in Mattias and Matteo is usually Italian.
  8. Ilona

    • Origin:

      Hungarian variation of Helen, Finnish

    • Meaning:

      "shining torch; light; joy"

    • Description:

      This variant of Helen is used across Europe, in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and it's native Hungary. Reminiscent of Elena, Leona, Ilaria, Fiona and Lola, it nevertheless remains a rarity in the US.
  9. Lotta

    • Origin:

      Short form of Charlotta or Carlotta, forms of Charlotte, French

    • Meaning:

      "free man"

    • Description:

      This nickname-name is very popular in Germany, though Lottie is still the preferred version in the US. The problem, of course, is that you'll have to put up with a lotta jokes. See?
  10. Aina

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian and Finnish variation of Aino, Catalan variation of Anna, Japanese, Latvian, Kazakh, Yoruba

    • Meaning:

      "always; grace; lover of green; sight; mirror; delivery had complications [umbilical cord twisted around neck]"

    • Description:

      A bright-sounding name with multicultural appeal, used regularly as a first name in Japan, Scandinavia, Latvia, and Spain.
  11. Anja

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian; Finnish; Slovene; Croatian; Serbian, from Russian

    • Meaning:

      "grace"

    • Description:

      Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika.
  12. Marika

    • Origin:

      Dutch variation of Mary

    • Description:

      Foreign variations of Mary are definitely the way to go; this one has a nice Dutch-girl feel. It also works as a cultural crossover name, e.g. between European languages and Japanese.
  13. Kirsi

    • Origin:

      Hindi, Finnish diminutive of Kirstina and Kirsten

    • Meaning:

      "amaranth blossoms; Christian, frost"

    • Description:

      This attractive multicultural name is found in India and Finland, where it is also a word meaning "frost."
  14. Arvo

    • Origin:

      Finnish

    • Meaning:

      "value, worth"

    • Description:

      Arvo is a simple name virtually unknown in the US and UK that might get discovered thanks to the surprise popularity of Arlo.
  15. Suvi

    • Origin:

      Finnish

    • Meaning:

      "summer"

    • Description:

      To the non-Scandinavian ear, a cute and unusual nickname name, used by Finnish supermodel Suvi Koponen. It has a zippy, yet sunny feel to it, and could make an interesting alternative to Susie.
  16. Sohvi

    • Origin:

      Finnish variation of Sophia, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"

    • Description:

      Sohvi is the Finnish translation of Sophia, although Sofia ranks as the most popular variation in Finland.
  17. Mikko

    • Origin:

      Finnish, from Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "who is like God?"

    • Description:

      Cute Finnish version of Michael.
  18. Aalto

    • Origin:

      Finnish

    • Meaning:

      "wave"

    • Description:

      The last name of Finnish moderne designer/architect makes an original, creative choice with an unexpected water-related meaning.
  19. Eino

    • Description:

      Eino is a masculine Finnish name derived from Germanic elements, ultimately a Finnish form of names containing 'ain' meaning 'one' or 'alone.' Popular in Finland and among Finnish-American communities, Eino carries cultural significance as a traditional Nordic name. It rose to prominence in Finland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by Finnish nationalist movements. The name is characterized by its distinctive sound and straightforward pronunciation (AY-no). While uncommon outside Finnish communities, Eino represents Finnish cultural heritage and has maintained steady usage in Finland. The name may appeal to parents seeking a simple yet distinctive name with Scandinavian roots and a strong cultural identity.

  20. Ilma

    • Origin:

      Finnish, Hungarian, Spanish, or literary Quenya

    • Meaning:

      "air; starlight"

    • Description:

      A name that's unknown in the US and Britain but is popular as a nature name in Finland. May also be known as a Hungarian variation of Amelia and a Spanish form of Wilhelmina.