London - If you look back through the story of Europe to the days when Vikings came rampaging out of the Nordic countries with an axe in the hand and a twinkle in the eye, there is a little genetic Finnish (as well as lots of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish) in us all.
But have you ever wondered what your name might be if you had clung on to your ancestry and retained the full Finnish names and surnames of your forebears?
There’s an online portal that translates standard Anglicised names – John Smith or Steve Jones – into more flamboyant Nordic monikers which reference epic poems and ice-coated landscapes.
John Smith, for example, becomes “Tapio Hongisto”, which translates loosely as “Ancient king of the forest” (Tapio) “Home made of pine trees” (Hongisto).
And Steve Jones becomes the infinitely more interesting “Ukko Kuusi” – “Ukko” being the name of the Finnish god of thunder and weather, and “Kuusi” meaning “spruce”.
But, there is more fun to be had if you attempt to Finn-generate a few celebrities.
Justin Bieber comes out of the process well. He emerges on the other side as Seppo Mansikkamaa – Seppo being a character from the Kalevala, an epic 19th-century poem from the Karelia region of eastern Finland; Mansikkamaa translating, a little strangely, as “Land of strawberries”.
Celebrity lovebirds Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are also a little different in Finnish. The rapper is transformed into Sampo Ilvesniemi – a curious combination of a mythical money-maker and a fearsome wild cat. “Sampo” is the name of a magical mill in the Kalevala which creates riches, Ilvesniemi refers to the sharp-toothed lynx.
West’s socialite partner, meanwhile, is reinvented as Aino Harju.
“Aino” is a key female character from the Kalevala (albeit one who drowns herself in the sea), and Harju is a strong geographical term, referring to a mountain ridge.
But spare a thought for Madonna, who fares less well in translation. Her one-word moniker reappears, intriguingly, as Alli Sinivuokko – or Wild-Duck Kidneywort, if the algorithms of the Finngenerator are to be believed. – Daily Mail
l See www.visitfinland.com/campaigns/finngenerator/public/en/
The names
BOYS
David Beckham – Tapio Saari: An ancient king of the forest/Island
Harry Styles – Ahti Pakkanen: The god of the sea/Frost
Kanye West – Sampo Ilvesniemi: A magical money mill/Lynx
Barack Obama – Otso Rinne: Bear; king of the forest/Slope
Justin Bieber – Seppo Mansikkamaa: Character from the Kalevala/Land of strawberries
GIRLS
Beyoncé – Aurora Halla: Light/Frost
Scarlett Johansson – Talvikki Mesikammen: Wintry/Bear
Jennifer Lawrence – Talvikki Korpela: Wintry/Wilderness
Madonna – Alli Sinivuokko: Wild duck/Kidneywort
Kim Kardashian – Aino Harju: Female character from the Kalevala/Mountain ridge