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Boy · Finnish
Väinö
Say it: VAI-nuh
Meaning
From Väinämöinen, the singer-hero of the Kalevala; the name is usually linked to Finnish väinä 'broad, slow-flowing river'.
Likelythe main view, with some doubt.
Very common in Finland in the early 20th century and back in fashion since the 2000s.
Its wave through time
Rare in the records
In the United States
- 8 babies given this name since 1916
- At its height in 1916, about 1 in 111,300 boys
- Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
Famous bearers
- Väinämöinen, singer-sage of the Kalevala
- Väinö Linna, Finnish novelist
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Well-known works of literature
- Calendars of saints and name days
- National birth statistics of European countries source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
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.