lehtinen

Lehtinen is a Finnish surname. It is derived from the word lehti meaning leaf, with the diminutive suffix -nen, a productive formation in Finnish to create surnames. The combination suggests a name originally applied as a nickname or a toponymic label referring to a characteristic of a place or person associated with leaves or small-leaf vegetation. The shift from descriptive nickname to hereditary surname occurred in Finland mainly during the 19th century when many Finns adopted fixed family names.

The surname is most common in Finland, with smaller populations among Finnish communities in Sweden, the United States, Canada and other countries amid emigration and diaspora. As with other Finnish surnames, Lehtinen has spawned various variants and related forms that share the same root, such as Lehto, Lehtonen, and Lehtoniemi.

Notable people with the surname include individuals across fields such as sports, academia, and culture, reflecting the name's distribution rather than a single prominent bearer.