Finnish Last Names – What does -nen mean?
Finnish last names, along with Swedish and Norwegian last names, are all part of the Scandinavian name group. Like most countries around the world, they are made up of patronymic and geographic last names.
This is where the very common -nen comes in. What does it mean, and why do so many Finnish names end in this suffix?
You might have noticed, especially once you look through the list we have compiled, but a lot of Finnish surname share the same name ending. This is because the majority of Finnish surnames are taken after place names or geographical locations. So, -nen basically indicates that the individual is from a place containing the preceding word.
For example, Virtanen is made up of the word Virta, meaning small stream, and -nen, indicating a belonging to the place. Many Finnish Last Names are closely related to nature, and this is evident in the list of name we have compiled.

30+ Most Common Finnish Last Names and Meanings
Listed below are some of the most popular Finnish surnames and their meanings. As mentioned above, you will notice that a lot of these surnames are related to nature.
Korhonen – Hard of Hearing (The direct translation or modern meaning is unknown for this very popular Finnish last name.)
Virtanen – Small stream
Ruoho – Grass
Lehtonen – Small grove or forest
Halla – Frost
Ahonen – Small glade
Kanerva – Heather
Mäkinen – Small hill
Nieminen – Small peninsula
Järvinen – Small lake
Heikkinen – Home ruler
Koskinen – Small rapids
Seppälä – Blacksmith
Hämäläinen – From Tavastia a province in Finland.
Kivi – Stone, Pebble
Laaksonen – Valley
Jokinen – River
Kokko – Eagle
Hamalainen – Someone from Hame province in Finland.
Kangas – Fabric, Cloth
Ranta – Shore
Nurmi – Field or pasture
Peura – Deer
Aalto – Wave
Vanhanen – Old
Korpela – Derived from the Finnish word Korpi, meaning a remote forest.
Lampi – Pond
Hanninen – Derived from the German personal name Johannes.
Annala – Derived from Anna.
Jarvela – Lake
Kemppainen – Warrior, Soldier
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