Wäinö

Wäinö is a masculine given name of Finnish origin. It is a variant spelling of Väinö, which in turn derives from Väinämöinen, a central figure in the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The name is associated with Finland’s cultural and national awakening in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The form Wäinö uses the Finnish ä and reflects historical orthography; in modernFinnish usage, Väinö is the standard spelling. Consequently, Wäinö is much less common today, typically appearing in older records or in contexts preserving historical spellings.

Notable people that bear the name include Wäinö Aaltonen (1894–1966), a prominent Finnish sculptor renowned for his large-scale public works. His influence on Finnish sculpture is commemorated in part by the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku, which is named in his honor and houses a collection of Finnish modern art and sculpture.

See also: Väinö, Väinämöinen, Kalevala.

In summary, Wäinö is a historical spelling variant of a Finnish name with strong ties to Finnish literature and national identity, best known today through the sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen and the museum named after him.