etunimen

Etunimi is the first given name in Finnish personal naming. It is part of a person’s legal name, alongside the family name (sukunimi) and any middle names. A Finnish individual may have one or several etunimet, depending on parental choice at birth or later name changes.

In everyday life, the name a person is most commonly called by is often the kutsumanimi, which is usually one of the etunimet. The other etunimet may appear on official documents but are not always used in daily address. Official records, such as passports and national registers, list all registered etunimet alongside the surname.

Registration and administration of etunimet are handled within Finland’s population information system, maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Names are recorded according to the legal spelling, including diacritics if applicable. The system supports changes or additions to given names under Finnish naming laws, and such changes are reflected in the national registers.

Naming practices in Finland can reflect cultural, familial, or personal preferences. Parents may choose traditional, modern, or internationally influenced etunimet, and some individuals acquire a preferred calling name that differs from a formal etunimi. Changes to etunimet, including adding or removing names, are governed by the Names Act and may require official processing.

Overall, etunimet function as the core set of personal identifiers beyond the surname, with one name commonly used in everyday speech while all registered etunimet appear in formal records.