Finnish Names

A popular choice in Finland, where it ranks among the Top 50 boy names.

Distinctive-sounding Scandinavian name. with deep roots. Short form is the attractive Jari.

This common name in Finland, which is also a diminutive for Jan in Sweden, might feel a bit feminine in the English-speaking world, too close to girls' names Jan and Jane.

Ayn is a nonconformist name associated with controversial Russian-born writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, (born Alisa) author of The Fountainhead, who adopted it when she moved to the US in 1926.

We like Matti in theory, but in practice it’s likely to get confused for the girlish Maddie.

A name made most famous by the operetta The Merry Widow which features "The Vilja's Song". A vila is a woodland spirit or fairy in Slavic mythology. Vilja also means "grain" in Finnish and "will, intent" in Swedish, and is very popular as a girls' name in Scandinavia, ranking in the Top 100 in both Finland and Norway.

Valo, an unusual entry in the o-ending category, can work for girls in the US. On Nameberry, it's especially popular among visitors from Bangladesh.

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

This name was on the U.S. Top 1000 in the early 20th century, when recent immigrants frequently chose native names that have since died out for American babies. But if you're of Finnish or Estonian ancestry, you may want to consider reviving this one with a positive meaning.

Makes Severin and Severus a little less, well, severe.

Rarely heard in the US, but borne by Jorma Taccone an actor featured on the TV series Girls., who was named after the Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. Taccone--who plays Booth Jonathan on the show-- has been quoted as saying, "I grew up in Berkeley and my parents were hippies, obviously, since my name is Jorma.

This common name for both boys and girls in Scandinavia would definitely work better as a feminine name in the U.S.

An attractive Finnish name with the potential to cross borders.

If you are looking for an unusual way to honor an ancestral Mary or Miriam, Mirja might make a good choice. Zero baby girls were given this name in the US in 2014. The rising popularity of Anja has schooled English speakers that the j is pronounced like a y.