Finnish Baby Names for Boys

A pet form of Karl, the form of Carl used throughout Scandinavia.

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.

In Finnish mythology from the traditional native epic poem Kalevala, Sampsa is a mythical person who sows all the forests of the land. It is also considered a variation of Biblical Sampson, taken from Saint Sampson the Hospitable, a saint of the Eastern Churches who served the poor of his city.

You lose the zippy Z with the Nordic form of Zebulon, but the softer nickname Seb is nice.

A lively take on Stephen.

Kalevi is a variant form of Kaleva, the name of a character from Finnish legend — the ancestor of all Finns. Although both are masculine names, Kalevi may be better suited for non-Finnish boys, since an A ending is often viewed as feminine.

Rauno originated in Finland as a variation of Norse names beginning with Ragn-, most notably Ragnar. The name is also heard in neighboring Estonia.

An attractive Finnish name with the potential to cross borders.

Finnish form of Daniel

This international variation deserves its own listing for a winning combination of distinctiveness and simplicity.

Reko is a Finnish nickname for the Swedish name Greger, which shares roots with Gregory. Reijo is another form seen in Nordic countries.

A creative way to honor a Gregory.

A nickname for two Finnish names: Taisto and Istrael, the Finnish form of Israel.

If you've heard this name, it's probably from the hero of the acclaimed Julia Glass novel, Three Junes, or else the political scientist Richard Fenno. As well as a Finnish name, it's alos a Frisian diminutive from names in the Frederick family, making it is a cousin of Freddie, Fritz and Fedde. This name is so rare it's never appeared on the charts, but with its energetic O ending it might appeal if you're looking for an alternative to names like Otto and Arlo.

A cool and wearable option for honoring an ancestral Harold.

A rare Finnish name which is used for both sexes, usually in the middle spot.