Kullervo

Boy · Finnish

Kullervo

Say it: KUL-ler-vo

Try it with your surname

Meaning

The tragic hero of the Kalevala; the origin of the name is uncertain.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Given occasionally in Finland after the Kalevala, and known through Sibelius's Kullervo.

Its wave through time

No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.

Through the ages

Used by

Finnish

Famous bearers

Kullervo, tragic hero of the Kalevala and subject of a Sibelius symphonic poem

Names worth a look

IlmariBoyFrom the Kalevala smith Ilmarinen, whose name comes from Finnish ilma 'air, sky'.Victorian

JuhaniBoyA Finnish form of Johannes (John), from Hebrew 'Yahweh is gracious'.Victorian

TapioBoyFrom Tapio, the forest god of Finnish folk poetry; the name's deeper origin is uncertain.Victorian · forgotten

PenttiBoyA Finnish form of Bengt (Benedict), from Latin benedictus 'blessed'.Renaissance · forgotten

HeikkiBoyA Finnish form of Henrik (Henry), from Germanic heim 'home' and rīc 'ruler'.Middle Ages

KaleviBoyFrom Kaleva, legendary ancestor of the heroes of the Kalevala; the origin of Kaleva is uncertain.Victorian · forgotten

GloriaGirlLatin and Spanish 'glory', associated with Our Lady of Glory and the hymn Gloria in excelsis.Victorian · peak 1945

ClarenceBoyFrom the title Duke of Clarence, named after Clare in Suffolk.Victorian · peak 1886

Where this comes from

Well-known works of literature

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.