Surname Leskinen - Meaning and Origin
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Leskinen: What does the surname Leskinen mean?
The last name LESKINEN is a Finnish surname with several slightly different spellings, including Löskine and Leskin. It is believed to have a variety of possible origins. In some cases, the name may have derived from the personal name Slovin or Sicilin, which come from the Old Norse Sigmund. In other cases, the surname may have derived from a place or location name, such as Leskinen in Sastamala, Finland.
The most common spelling of the Leskinen surname is also believed to be of patronymic origin, derived from the personal name Lasse. As such, the name is thought to mean “descendant of Lasse” in Finnish.
The Leskinen surname is found mainly in eastern and northern Finland, as well as in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It is most frequently observed in the state of Lapland, where many Finnish emigrants originating from the Leskinen family can still be found today.
There are several notable people with the Leskinen surname today, including the Finnish musician Tuomas Leskinen, academic Mikko Leskinen, cartoonist Tapio Leskinen, and photographer and journalist Jari Leskinen.
Order DNA origin analysisLeskinen: Where does the name Leskinen come from?
The last name Leskinen is most commonly found today in Finland. It is one of the most popular surnames in the country, ranking 19th most common. It is estimated that between 16,000 and 22,000 people in Finland today carry the last name Leskinen.
Outside of Finland the last name Leskinen is less common, but can still be found in large centres of Finnish immigration such as the United States, Canada and Australia. There also seems to be some presence of the surname in Sweden, though it is sparse.
The origin of the last name can likely be traced to the region of Lappi in Northern Finland, where the surname was first recorded in a document from the 17th century. Since then the name has spread across the country, mostly thanks to population growth as well as migration of Finns to other areas.
As with many last names, the meaning of Leskinen is not clear, however there are some theories that the name is derived from the word 'leski' which means 'widow' in Finnish.
The Leskinen family motto is "Joka kantoi, joutuu kantamaan", which translates to, "He who carries it must bear it".
Variations of the surname Leskinen
Leskinen is a Finnish surname with numerous variations, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variations are:
Läskinen: This is the most common variation of the surname Leskinen. It is found throughout Finland, though it is mostly in the south and central parts of the country.
Lehtinen: This variation is most common in northern Finland, as well as in the northern parts of the Aland Islands and the Karelian Isthmus.
Lehtonen: This spelling of the name is most commonly found in southern Finland, as well as in the Åland Islands and the Karelian Isthmus.
Leskin: This variation is mostly found in the Aland Islands and the Karelian Isthmus in Finland.
Lempinen: This is a rare variant of Leskinen mainly found in the Tampere region in southern Finland.
Lalo: This variation is most often seen in the Jyväskylä region in central Finland.
Lemminkäinen: This variation is found throughout Finland, but with a higher frequency in the south and central parts of the country.
Lehmus: This spelling is most commonly found in the Åland Islands and in the Karelian Isthmus in Finland.
Lehtomaa: This variation is mostly in the Kainuu region in northern Finland.
Lehto: This variant is mostly found in the western part of Finland, as well as in the northern and eastern parts of the Åland Islands.
Leskinen is also the root of several unrelated surnames, including Heiskanen, Ojala, Kuusisto, and Kiukkonen. All of these variations, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Leskinen have one thing in common: they are all derived from the Finnish word leski, which means widow in English.
Famous people with the name Leskinen
- Juice Leskinen: Finnish singer-songwriter
- Erkki Leskinen: Finnish entrepreneur and professor
- Risto Leskinen: Finnish former professional ice hockey player
- Reijo Leskinen: Finnish politician and farmer
- Jarno Leskinen: Finnish former competitive figure skater
- Eija-Riitta Leskinen: Finnish cross-country skier
- Miikka Leskinen: Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman
- Jarkko Leskinen: Finnish former competitive ice dancer
- Tuukka Leskinen: Finnish footballer
- Mikko Leskinen: Finnish professional footballer