Surname Soininen - Meaning and Origin
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Soininen: What does the surname Soininen mean?
The last name Soininen is a Finnish surname, derived from the Finnish word “soittaa,” meaning “to play” or “to perform.” The word likely originates from an occupational name derived from an ancestor’s job as a musician or entertainer.
The Soininen surname is concentrated primarily in the Northern and Eastern regions of Finland, particularly in the villages of Kajaani, Raahe, and Helsinki. It is an uncommon name, typically found clustered in towns and villages throughout the country. Over the years, the surname has spread to other regions of Finland, as well as to other countries where the Finnish diaspora has settled.
The Soininen name carries a long and distinguished history in Finland, dating back to the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded Finnish Soininens was a farmer from the Kajaani area, who in 1793 was mentioned in the Population Information System of the region’s court records.
The name has continued to be held in high regard by the people of Finland, and boasts various notable Finnish figures. These include the politician Terttu Soininen, the actor Heini Soininen, and the famous four-person pop music group Soininens from the 1990s.
All in all, the Finnish surname Soininen is steeped in history and tradition, and is a proud symbol of Finnish heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisSoininen: Where does the name Soininen come from?
The last name Soininen is a Finnish surname derived from the place-name Soini in the country of Finland. It is a toponymic last name, meaning that it is derived from a place, as opposed to being descriptive or patronymic. The Soininens were originally a peasant family that lived in a village in the present-day Pöytyä municipality in Southwest Finland. Today, the Soininen surname is still quite common in Finland, with the most notable concentrations in the present-day regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, and the Satakunta region.
In the United States, the Soininen family name first began to appear in record books in the 19th century, as Finnish immigrants began to journey to America in search of a better life. Today, there are an estimated 1,269 people in the United States who bear the Soininen surname. The greatest concentration of Soininens in the United States can be found in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Outside of the United States, the Soininen name remains quite common in Finland and increasingly popular in Sweden.
In 1972, the first book focusing specifically on the Soininen lineage was published. It was titled Soininens, and is a comprehensive genealogy of the family written in Finnish. The book includes extensive details regarding the descendants of the original peasant family, from before the 19th century up to the present day. It also includes some interesting facts about the ancestors of the family, and provides an invaluable source of information for those who are interested in learning more about their Finnish heritage.
Variations of the surname Soininen
Soininen is a surname of Scandinavian origin derived from the word 'soin', which means 'clean' or 'neat'. It is a fairly common surname in Finland where it is primarily spelt 'Soininen'. It is also seen spelt as 'Soinine', 'Soinin', 'Soininne', 'Soinne' and 'Soinen'. Depending on the language or dialect, the spellings Soininov, Soinins, Soininten, Soinimeri, Soinitne, Soininen, Soininese and Soenin are also found.
The Danish and Norwegian variants of this name are Søininen and Søinin respectively, while the Swedish spelling is Söininen. The plural form of the name is usually spelt Soininens.
In Finland, there are several variants of this surname, which are produced by adding a suffix such as 'nen', 'la', 'lä', 'laakso', 'salo', 'laari' and 'lainen' before the name Soininen. Similarly, to form patronymic names, the prefixes 'ko', 'poika' and 'vanha' can be added to Soininen. Such surname variants include Ko-Soininen, Poikasoininen, Vanhasoininen, Soininenen, Soinilainen, Soininenlaari, Soininensalo, Soininenlaakso, etc.
The surname is uncommon in areas outside Finland. There are also some cases of families using the shortened version of this surname, known as 'Soini'. In the United States, many families with the surname Soininen have adopted the Americanized version of the surname such as 'Seaneen', 'Seinin', and 'Seanin'.
Famous people with the name Soininen
- Pekka Soininen: finnish bassist, singer and composer, best known for his work with the pop group Sunrise Avenue.
- Kari Soininen: finnish professional 29-time Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
- Atte Soininen: finnish sculptor and artist.
- Tomi Soininen: finnish entrepreneur and the founder of the mobile games publisher Rovio Entertainment.
- Eero Soininen: finnish two-time alpine skiing world champ and Olympic ski racer.
- Erkki Soininen: finnish modernist poet.
- Janina Soininen: finnish actress, writer and director, best known for her work in television series such as Aamu, Ihanasti Elämä and Alastomuuden Autuus.
- John Soininen: american sculptor and working artist.
- Ulla-Maija Soininen: finnish high-level international figure skating judge.
- Terhi Soininen: finnish children's author and illustrator, best known for her fantasy, science fiction and historical works.