First Names from Finnish Historical Documents—Finnish and Swedish Forms of Given Names
From SFHS
These articles were copied from an archive site after the original David Saari's site went off line. Mr Saari responded: Please feel free to use this materian in whatever way mat be of help to other family historians
Kalevi Kiesi
This list includes given names found in Finnish historical documents from the 17th through 19th centuries (1600’s through 1800’s) and their modern Finnish and Swedish equivalents.
Some of the names in the “Today” columns are not in general use any more or might be considered “old fashioned” or “obsolete.” These names are included to show how the historical names can be written if translated into modern language.
The translation of names from Swedish to Finnish depends on which part of Finland you are looking at. For example, the name Johan may be found as Juho in nothern Finland and Ostrobothnia, Juha in Savo, Juhana in Karelia, and Johan in southwestern Finland.
In Finnish and Swedish, the letter ‘W’ is an old way to write ‘V’ (and not a “double-U”).
| Names from the Historical Documents | Finnish Today | Swedish Today | Parallel Names Used Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agneta, Agnes | Aune | Agneta | |
| Amanda, Manda | Amanda | Amanda | Manta |
| Anna | Anna | Anna | |
| Annika | Annikki | Annika | Anna, Anni |
| Aqvilina, Aquilina, Vilina | Akvilina | Akvilina | Vilina |
| Beata, Beatha | Beata | Beata | |
| Brigita, Brigitta, Brita, Britha, Brigitha | Pirkko | Birgitta | Priita, Priitta, Piritta |
| Brita, Britha | Riitta | Brita | Priita, Priitta |
| Carin, Catharina, Catharine, Charin, Caisa, Katrina | Kaarina | Karin | Katriina, Katri, Kaisa |
| Catharina, Catharine, Charin, Carin, Caisa, Katrina | Katariina | Katarina | Katriina, Katri, Kaisa |
| Catharina, Katriina, Katri, Catharine | Katariina | Katarina | |
| Cecilia, Cesilia, Coecilia, Sicilia, Sidzla, Sedzla, Sitza | Cecilia | Cecilia | Silja, Sissa |
| Charlotta, Lotta | Charlotta | Charlotta | Lotta |
| Clara | Klaara | Klara | |
| Constance, Konstantia, Konstantina | Constance | Constance | Konstantia |
| Dorde, Dorothea | Dorotea | Dorotea | Tea, Thea |
| Eleonora, Nora | Eleonoora | Eleonora | Noora |
| Elin, Elli, Helena, Helga, Lena | Elina | Elin | Leena, Elli, Helga |
| Elisabeth, Elisabetha, Lisbetha, Lispetta, Lisa, Elisa, Elise, Alisa, Elsa | Elisabet | Elisabet | Liisa, Eliisa, Elsa |
| Emilia, Emelie | Emilia | Emilia | |
| Erika, Erica | Erika | Erika | |
| Eufrosyne, Euphrosyne, Euphrosina, Eufrosyna | Eufrosyne | Eufrosyne | Eufrosiina |
| Eva | Eeva | Eva | |
| Gertrud, Gertrudh | Kerttu | Gertrud | |
| Gretha, Margareta, Margaretha, Margeta, Marta, Märtä | Kreetta | Greta | Reetta |
| Hedwig, Hedda, Heda, | Hedvig | Hedvig | Heta |
| Helena, Lena, Elin, Helga, Elli | Helena | Helena | Leena |
| Hilda, Hildur | Hilda | Hilda | |
| Ingeborg, Inga, Ingred, Ingri, Inger | Inkeri | Ingrid | Inka, Inga |
| Johanna, Hanna | Johanna | Johanna | Hanna |
| Kirstin, Kristiina, Christin, Christina, Xtina | Kirsti | Kirstin | |
| Lisa, Elisabet, Elisabeth, Lisbetha, Lijsa, Lijsbeth, Elsa, Elisa, Elise, Alisa | Liisa | Lisa | Elisa, Elsa |
| Lisbeth, Elisabeth, Lisbetha | Lispetta | Elisabeth | Liisa, Elsa |
| Lovisa, Louise | Loviisa | Lovisa | |
| Lucia, Lucia | Lucia | Lucia | |
| Lydia, Lyyti, Lyyli | Lyydia | Lydia | |
| Magdalena, Maalin, Malin, Madlena, Magga, Lena | Matleena | Magdalena | |
| Margeta, Margetha, Marga, Martha, Märta, Marith, Greta, Gretha,Martta, Maarit | Marketta | Margeta | |
| Maria, Maja, Maija, Marja | Maria | Maria | Maria, Maija, Marja, Mari |
| Mathilda, Tilda | Matilda | Matilda | |
| Otteliana, Ottiliana, Ottilja | Ottilia | Ottilia | |
| Ragnhild, Ragnil | Rauni | Ragnhild | Rauna |
| Rebecca, Becca | Rebekka | Rebekka | |
| Regina, Rigina | Regina | Regina | |
| Sara, Sarah | Saara | Sara | |
| Scholastika, Lastica | Skolastikka | Skolastika | Lastikka |
| Serafia, Serapia | Serafiina | Serafina | |
| Sigrid | Siiri | Sigrid | |
| Sophia, Sohvi | Sofia | Sofia | |
| Stina, Kristina, Kristiina, Christina, Stiina | Tiina | Stina | |
| Ulrika, Ulla | Ulriikka | Ulrika | Ulla |
| Walborg, Valborg | Valpuri | Valborg | Vappu |
| Wendla, Wendilä | Venla | Wendla | |
| Wilhelmina, Miina | Vilhelmiina | Wilhelmina | Miina |
| Names from the Historical Documents | Finnish Today | Swedish Today | Parallel Names Used Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham, Abram, Aabrahamus, Aaprami | Aabraham | Abraham | Aabraham, Aapro, Aapo |
| Adam, Aadam | Aatami | Adam | Aatami |
| Adolf, Adolphus | Aadolf | Adolf | Aatu, Aatto |
| Albin, Albinus, Alpiin | Albin | Albin | Alpo |
| Alexander, Alex | Aleksanteri | Alexander | Aleksi, Santeri |
| Ambrosius, Brusius, Brusi | Ambrosius | Ambrosius | Ambro, Brusi, Prusi |
| Anders, Andreas, Antreas | Antti | Anders | |
| Anton, Antonius | Anton | Anton | Toni, Tyni |
| Arfwed, Arved, Arffued, Arvid | Arvi | Arvid | |
| Bengt, Benedictus, Bendike | Pentti | Bengt | |
| Benjamin | Benjamin | Benjamin | Penna |
| Berend, Berhardus, Bernt, Bern | Bernhard | Bernhard | |
| Bertil, Bertel, Bartolomeus | Pertti | Bertil | Pertti, Pertteli, Pärttyli |
| Carl, Carolus | Kaarle | Karl | Kalle, Kaarlo |
| Casper, Caspar | Kasper | Kasper | |
| Christer, Christianus, Christiern, Christophorus, Christofer, Kristian, Ristian, Kristoffer | Krister | Krister | Kristian, Risto |
| Claus, Claes, Claudius | Klaus | Klaus | |
| Clemeth, Clemith, Clemens | Klemetti | Clemet | |
| Cnuth, Canutus | Nuutti | Knut | Knut, Knuutti |
| Conrad, Kurt, Kort, Conradus | Kondrad | Kondrad | Kurt |
| Daniel | Taneli | Daniel | |
| David, Taavi, Taavetti | Daavid | David | |
| Edvard, Edvardus | Edvard | Edvard | Eetu |
| Elias, Eeli, Eelis | Elias | Elias | |
| Emmanuel, Emanuel | Emmanuel | Emmanuel | Manu, Immo |
| Erasmus, Rasmus | Rasmus | Rasmus | Erasmus |
| Eric, Erich, Ericus, Eerikki, Eerikki | Erkki | Erik | Erkki, Eerikki, Eero |
| Eskel, Eschel, Escillus, Celsus Eschel | Esko | Eskil | Eskeli |
| Frans, Frantz, Fransiscus | Frans | Frans | |
| Fredric, Friedrich, Fredricus | Fredrik | Fredrik | Rietrikki, Retu |
| Gabriel | Gabriel | Gabriel | Kaapo, Kaapro |
| Grels, Gregor, Gregorius, Greger, Greg, Kreu | Reijo | Grels | Reko, Reittu, Riekki |
| Gudmund | Gudmund | Gudmund | |
| Gustaf, Gustaff, Gustawus, Gösta, Giösta | Kustaa | Gustaf | Kyösti |
| Hans, Haans | Hannu | Hans | |
| Henric, Hendric, Hindrich, Hender, Hinder, Henricus | Henrik | Henrik | Heikki, Henrikki |
| Hjalmar, Jalmar | Jalmari | Hjalmar | |
| Isaac, Isac, Isacus | Iisak | Isak | Iisakki, Iikka |
| Israel | Israel | Israel | |
| Jacob, Jacop, Jeppe, Cauppi | Jaakko | Jakob | Kauppi |
| Joachim, Jochem | Jaakkima | Joakim | Joakim |
| Job, Hiob, Hjob | Job | Job | |
| Johan, Johannes, John, Jean, Jöns, Ihanus, Hannu | Juhana | Johan | Juhani, Jussi, Juho, Juha, Hannu |
| Joseph, Josephus, Josef | Jooseppi | Josef | Joosef, Juuso |
| Jöns, Johan, Juhana | Jussi | Johan | |
| Jören, Yrjä, Georg, Georgius, Jöran, Gregorius, Örjan | Yrjö | Göran | |
| Kristian, Christian, Ristian, Risto | Kristian | Christian | |
| Lars, Lasse, Laars, Laurentius | Lauri | Lars | Lauri, Lassi |
| Magnus, Maunu, Måns, Mons | Mauno | Magnus | Maunu |
| Marcus | Markku | Markus | |
| Matts, Mattz, Mathias, Matias, Matthaus, Madz, Matteus | Matti | Matts | |
| Mauritz, Mauritius, Maurus | Mauri | Mauritz | |
| Michel, Michil, Michael, Mikkeli, Mikel, Mikkel | Mikko | Mikael | Mikko, Mikael |
| Måns, Magnus? | Maunu | Måns | |
| Mårthen, Martin, Martinus | Martti | Mårten | |
| Nils, Niels, Nilis, Nicolaus, Niclas | Niilo | Nils | Niko, Nikki, Niku |
| Olof, Oluff, Ohl, Olli, | Olavi | Olof | Olli Uoti |
| Peer, Pehr, Pähr | Pekka | Pär | |
| Petter, Petrus, Peder | Pietari | Petter | Petteri |
| Philip, Philippus, Filip, | Filip | Filip | Filpus, Filppu, Hilppa, Vilppu |
| Påhl, Pohl, Pål, Paul, Paulus | Paavo | Paul | Paavali |
| Samuel | Samuli | Samuel | |
| Siffred, Siffert, Siegfred, Siffer, Söffred, Sipi, Sippo, Sihvo | Sipi | Sigfred | |
| Simon, Simeon | Simo | Simon | Simuna |
| Staffan, Staphan, Stefan | Tapani | Staffan | Tahvo, Teppana, Tahvana, Teppo |
| Swen, Suen, Swän | Sven | Sven | Väini |
| Thomas | Tuomas | Thomas | Tuomo |
| Timoteus | Timo | Timoteus | |
| Torsten | Torsti | Torsten | |
| Urbanus, Paanu | Urpo | Urbanus | |
| Wilhem | Ville | Vilhelm | Vilho, Vilhelmi, Viljo, Viljami |
| Zacharias, Zachris | Sakari | Sakarias | |
| Åke, Achatius, Akatius | Aake | Åke | Akatius, Oke |
<P>Suggested Reading
Sirkka Paikkala, “Etunimet sukututkimuksessa,” Sukutieto, Jan. 1997 (in Finnish).
