The Institute for the Languages of Finland conducts onomastic research, oversees name planning, compiles related publications, and maintains a comprehensive Names Archive.
The Names Archive contains a corpus of material on Finnish, Swedish and Saami names for the purpose of research and name planning. The corpus consists mostly of place names in Finland and neighbouring regions, personal names, names appearing in official documents, and a cartographic collection.
Our work in the field of name planning is designed to familiarise Finns with traditional naming practices, present-day usage and formation of proper names and toponyms, and their standard orthography. We offer expert academic advice and toponymic guidance to relevant authorities. We also provide guidance in the usage and selection of proper names and keep up with new developments in foreign toponyms and proper names as well as related international recommendations.
Useful publications
Directions in Urban Place Name Research (2011)
Compiled by Terhi Ainiala and Jani Vuolteenaho. Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 23. Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus.
Web publication PDF (2,4 MB). URN:ISBN 978-952-5446-65-4, ISSN 1796-041X
Name planning
The Institute for the Languages of Finland oversees language planning for Finnish, Swedish, Saami, Finnish Sign Language and Romany. Name planning (or office treatment of names) is an integral part of this work. Statutory Language Boards for each of these languages act as our resident name planning experts. Their task is to issue decisions-in-principle and general recommendations on the use of toponyms and proper names.
The goals of our name planning work are to:
- preserve Finnish toponymic traditions and familiarise the public with traditional naming practices;
- ensure that new place names, in bothzoned urban and rural areas, are appropriate and compatible with traditional place names;
- oversee the Finnish name system, ensuring that new first names and surnames are appropriate and compatible with existing Finnish traditions and legislation;
- ensure that imported proper names comply with Finnish legislation and the existing Finnish name system;
- influence the selection and usage of names of government offices, institutions, companies, associations, trademarks, etc.;
- standardise and oversee the correct and unambiguous usage of foreign place names in compliance with established practices and internationally approved principles.
Our work in this field is based on research into existing Finnish onomastic traditions, specialist literature published in Finland and around the world, resources in our Names Archive and, as necessary, additional case-specific research.
References to foreign proper names, geographical place names, product names, companies and other names are frequent in everyday speech and writing. In cooperation with foreign language experts, our name planning experts issue guidelines on how foreign names should be used in Finnish contexts.
Our success in this work is dependent on close collaboration with Finnish government offices, institutions, the media, neighbouring countries and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Place Names (UNGEGN).
Names Archive
The Names Archive (Nimiarkisto) contains a corpus of material on Finnish and Saami names, serving as a tool for research and name planning. The archive contains a wealth of valuable resources not only for onomasts and linguists, but also for archaeologists, historians, ethnologists and scientists. The archive also offers interesting background material and supplementary resources for genealogists.
The bulk of the archive consists of a collection of geographical place names, proper names, names appearing in official documents, and a cartographic collection. Other resources include a collection of domestic animal names (e.g. names of horses, cattle, dogs and cats).
Most of the toponymic collection is based on oral sources collected in the field by trained linguists and students. Additional material has been collected through naming competitions.
The Names Archive currently contains over 2.7 million original or comparable place-name card files covering Finland and its neighbouring territories, all itemized by parish. These card files form the basis of a comprehensive nationwide toponym collection and index. The archive contains over 2.3 million card files for Finland alone. To date we have compiled an estimated 95 per cent of Finland’s traditional place names in Finnish and Saami.
The archive contains 417,000 card-file entries for geographical place names outside Finland, 326,000 of which are located in Karelian territory ceded to the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Other territories represented in the archive include Finnish-speaking regions of Sweden and Norway, East Karelia, Viena Karelia, Aunus Karelia, Vepsian territory, Ingria and Estonia. Saami-language entries comprise a total of 33,000 place names in Finland, Petsamo and Swedish and Norwegian Lapland. The original card-file collection is alphabetised and itemised by municipality or parish.
The Names Archive contains a sizeable collection of proper names (466,500 card files in total), plus smaller, specialised name collections, an index of first names and surnames, and microcards of historical parish records copied by the Genealogical Society of Finland, forming the basis of an index of first names and surnames itemised by province.
Our index of names appearing in official documents provides a wealth of information on old Finnish names. Comprising both proper names and geographical place names, it is chiefly based on 16th century documents stored in the Finnish National Archive. Our card index guides you to the original document in which the name appears.
The cartographic collection contains approximately 40,000 maps, most of them dating from the 20th century.
The material in the Names Archive is supplemented by additional resources in our library.
Names on maps
The Institute for the Languages of Finland ensures that the names used on the country’s maps appear in their correct form. It also publishes and keeps up-to-date toponymic guidelines for map editors and other editors.
Toponymic Guidelines for Map Editors and Other Editors, For International Use
Toponymic Guidelines for Map Editors and Other Editors – Finland
Resolution No. 4 of the fourth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (Geneva, 1982) recommends that countries should be encouraged to publish and keep up-to-date toponymic guidelines for map editors and other editors, which may enable cartographers of other countries to solve problems related to cartographic toponymy and which may be of help to all users in interpreting maps.
Following the resolution, the toponymic guidelines of Finland include, among other items, the following:
- Legal status of place names in Finland (Finnish, Swedish, North Saami, Inari Saami and Skolt Saami);
- Alphabets of Finnish, Swedish and Saami languages;
- Spelling rules for Finnish place names;
- Aids to pronunciation of Finnish and Saami place names;
- Relationship between dialects and standard languages;
- Names authorities and measures taken in names standardization; Source material;
- Glossary of words necessary for the understanding of maps;
- Abbreviations used in official maps;
- Administrative divisions.
The toponymic guidelines are designed to meet the needs of the editors of not only cartographic works but also of other publications using geographical names.
The present text is an updated version of the one submitted to the 22nd Session of United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names in New York 20-29 April 2004 as Working Paper No. 49.
Standardisation of geographical names in Finland
The PDF document contains background information on the standardisation of geographical names in Finland. It provides information on Finland’s language situation, the organisations participating in the standardisation work, initiatives to establish place name legislation and a national names authority, place name collections, office treatment of place names, and place names datasets and services. A list of the most important publications on standardised place names is included.
Publications, articles and links
Web publications
Each name is presented in Finnish, Swedish, North Saami, English, French, German and Russian.
Articles
Based on the paper read at the XIXth International Congress of Onomastic Sciences Aberdeen, August 4-11, 1996). Published in: Miikkulainen, Raija (1998): The Database of Finnish Toponyms. In W.F. H. Nicolaisen (ed.), Proceedings of the XIXth International Congress of Onomastic Sciences. Aberdeen, August 4-11, 1996. Volume 2. Department of English, University of Aberdeen. Aberdeen. p. 248–255.
In Peter Jordan, Hubert Bergmann, Catherine Cheetham und Isolde Hausner (edited by), Geographical Names as a Part of the Cultural Heritage. Wiener Schriften zur Geographie und Kartographie, Bd. 18. Wien. p. 65–70.
In Terje Larsen og Tom Schmidt, Botolv onomastikkens harding. Veneskrift til Botolv Helleland på 70-årsdagen 9. juni 2010. Oslo: Novus Forlag. ISBN 978-82-7099-569-1. p. 71–80.