Finnish Dog Names With Meanings

Finnish - or Suomi as its speakers call it - is the official language of Finland and a minority language in Sweden. There are currently about 5 million speakers of Finnish in the world. If you are Finnish and want to find something suitable, you will find something here. If you don't live in Finland, choosing a Finnish name for your dog can be a perfect way to make sure it's unique and meaningful.

The Finnish language is notable for its long words and complicated inflections. It is considered to be very hard to learn for English speakers, as it's not an Indo-European language, but an Uralic one. The Uralic language family includes Hungarian, the Sámi languages and different official languages of Russia (but not Russian itself). Finnish belongs to the same group as Estonian.

Finnish started to evolve around the 11th century BCE. However, it didn't appear in written form until the 15th century CE, as it wasn't used in formal settings like academia or business. However, the nationalist movement of the 19th century brought about the process of standardizing Finnish and make it an official language. Elias Lönnrot compiled Finnish folklore into a national epic known as The Kalevala which was published in 1849. The first novel in Finnish, Seven Brothers by Aleksis Kivi, wasn't published until 1870.

Among the most stereotypical Finnish names for dogs we can find Rekku ("Barky") and Musti ("Blacky"). These are the equivalent of ‘Rex’ or ‘Fido’. Musti is so traditional that it even appears in The Kalevala. Other common names for dogs include Luppa, Haukku, Tessu, Rontti, Jeri, Rita and Bella. If you live in Finland, you'll probably be looking for more unique Finnish names for your pet.

If you want some inspiration from somewhere a little further south in Europe, you might want to check out our guide to different German dog names for male and female dogs.

Before moving on to our list of Finnish names for dogs with their meanings, there are some aspects you need to take into account before making your choice.

• Your dog will learn their name faster if it's between 2 and 3 syllables long.
• Your dog's name shouldn't sound like a common word or command that you use regularly. Doing so can confuse them. For instance, Spot and Stop sound very similar, so they may not know which one you are trying to use. This is why unique or foreign-sounding names can be excellent choices for English speakers. You are much less likely to use them in daily conversation.
• You should never yell your dog's name or use it while scolding them. Dogs learn by association. Doing so will make them associate their name negative emotions which can lead to behavioral issues or problems with their well-being.
• Choose something which suits both your personality and the personality of the dog. Don't rush, but get to know them for a little while before finalizing your decision.
• Once you choose the Finnish name for your dog, be consistent. Do not use nicknames, since this can confuse the dog. Also make sure everyone in the home uses the same name or else they might also have issues following commands.
  

We share the meanings of these Finnish dog names below to help with your decision. They include names which can represent both their physical characteristics and their personality. Before we share them, you may want to take a look at some other ideas with our guide to male and female names for small dogs.

This has been our compilation of Finnish names for dogs with their meanings. If you have more ideas, please tell us in the comments section!

If you still haven't found the perfect name for your dog, you can continue browsing our name lists from other languages:

• Afrikaans names for dogs
• Basque names for dogs
• Guanche names for dogs
• Marathi names for dogs
• Punjabi names for dogs
• Scottish names for dogs

If you want to read similar articles to Finnish Dog Names With Meanings, we recommend you visit our Names category.