Henkilönimissä

Henkilönimissä refers to personal names in Finnish. Finnish personal names typically consist of a given name (etunimi) and a surname (sukunimi). The given name is usually placed before the surname. For example, in the name "Matti Virtanen", "Matti" is the given name and "Virtanen" is the surname.

In Finnish culture, traditionally, given names were often chosen from a relatively limited pool of common names, with a strong connection to nature or historical figures. However, modern naming practices have become more diverse, with parents increasingly opting for less common or international names. There are no formal rules dictating the number of given names a person can have, but most Finns have one or two.

Surnames in Finland are primarily patronymic or toponymic in origin. Patronymic surnames, derived from the father's given name, were very common in the past. For instance, a son of "Juha" might have been named "Juhonpoika" (Juha's son), and a daughter "Juhontytär" (Juha's daughter). Toponymic surnames are derived from geographical features or place names. In modern times, surnames are inherited from the father, or in some cases, the mother. Marriage usually involves adopting the husband's surname, though it is also common for the wife to retain her maiden name or for the couple to adopt a new shared surname. Female surnames traditionally often ended in -nen, such as Virtanen or Nieminen, though this is not a strict rule.

The Finnish naming system does not typically use middle names in the same way as some other cultures. Any names between the first given name and the surname are also considered given names.