isännänimi

Isännänimi is a historical Finnish term used in parish records and other population lists to indicate the name of the person who held the house or farm as the head of the household. The isännänimi identifies who was responsible for the dwelling and its inhabitants, serving as a primary marker of household leadership in various civil and church records.

In practice, isännänimi appears in old church books and census-like lists from the 17th to 19th centuries. It is often used to link members to a specific household across different years and to show who bore duties such as church dues or taxation for that dwelling. The concept is distinct from the tilan nimi or talon nimi, which refer to the place itself; isännänimi is the person in charge. Although the male head of the household is typically recorded as the isännänimi, there are cases where a woman who ran the household is noted with the corresponding emännänimi (the female counterpart).

Today, isännänimi is primarily of interest to historians and genealogists. It helps researchers understand household composition, property responsibility, and movements of families within parishes. The term reflects historical social structures where the household head played a central role in record-keeping and local administration.

Etymologically, isännänimi comes from isäntä, meaning host or master, combined with nimi, meaning name. The usage of the term was not standardized and varied by region and period, which is important for interpreting historical sources.