Karhu

Karhu is a Finnish word meaning bear. In Finland and in Finnish branding, the term is used for various products and entities, reflecting the cultural association with the animal.

Karhu (sportswear) is a Finnish sporting goods company founded in Helsinki in 1916. It specializes in athletic footwear and apparel, with a historical emphasis on running shoes. The brand has a long association with Finnish sport and has seen renewed international attention in recent decades, retaining a distinctive bear-related branding.

Karhu is also the name of a Finnish beer brand. The beer, whose name translates to bear, is a pale lager produced for domestic markets and, to varying extents, international distribution. It is commonly available in Finland and is part of the broader spectrum of Finnish beer brands.

As a surname, Karhu exists in Finland. Individuals bearing the name may be found in different fields, reflecting the common practice of adopting animal terms as family names in Finnish and other Nordic naming traditions.