Surname Suomela - Meaning and Origin
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Suomela: What does the surname Suomela mean?
The surname Suomela is of Finnish origin. It is a toponymic surname, a type of surname based on a geographical location. The name Suomela can be broken down into two parts: 'Suome' which refers to 'Suomi', the Finnish name for Finland, and 'la', a common suffix in Finnish surnames, which means 'place of'. Therefore, Suomela could be interpreted to mean 'place of Finland' or 'Finnish place'. It does not have a specific meaning beyond this geographical reference. Like many Finnish surnames, Suomela may have been adopted by families based on their place of residence or origin within Finland.
Order DNA origin analysisSuomela: Where does the name Suomela come from?
The last name Suomela is most commonly found in Finland today. The name originates from Old Norse, where “Suomi” meant “Finland”. It is therefore likely that the name is of Finnish or Swedish origin.
The name Suomela is fairly common in Finland—data from the Finnish Population Register Centre (VRK) shows that in 2019, the name was the 802nd most common family name in Finland. There are an estimated 36,391 people with the last name Suomela currently living in Finland.
Suomela is not as common outside of Finland as might be expected. For instance, in the United States, the name is not even recorded in the 2000 U.S. Census. There is, however, a website dedicated to those with the last name Suomela, where individuals from various countries around the world can share their stories and trace their genealogy.
Though the name is not overly common outside of Finland, those with the last name of Suomela have had success in various endeavors. For instance, Sirpa Suomela, a Finnish engineer, was the first woman to become an ambassador in Finland, and Jesse Suomela is a professional ice hockey player. As it stands, the name is definitely most common in Finland, but with more individuals from the Suomela family making their mark outside of Finland, it could become more popular in the coming years.
Variations of the surname Suomela
The spelling and variant forms of the surname Suomela are quite varied. These include Suomalainen, Soomela, Suomi, Suomalainen, Swomala, Siomel, Soomi, Soomelainen, Sjomel, Soomelin, Somel, Sömeling and Suomlin. These surnames are all derived from the Finnish language and refer to a person or family from Finland.
The development of the spelling of Suomela can be traced back to the Middle Ages when surnames first became widespread in European cultures. People began to use surnames to differentiate themselves and identify their own family. Variations of Suomela developed over time due to different cultural influences, dialects and the pronunciation of the name.
The most common variant of Suomela is Suomalainen, which is simply the direct translation of the word Finland from the Finnish language. It is the most widespread of the variants and is also the most recognized in Finland.
The meaning of Suomela is ‘of Finland’, but the origin of the surname is open to debate. Some historians believe that the name was derived from the Old Swedish word ‘sveomel’, which referred to a person from the Swedish province of Suomi. Other sources suggest that it could be linked to either a geographical location in Finland or a personal name.
Regardless of its origin, the surname Suomela is found all over the world today and has been adopted by many people who have a connection to Finland. It is also a common name in Finland, where it is the 30th most popular surname.
Famous people with the name Suomela
- Eetu Suomela: Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks
- Pasi Suomela: Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Liiga with HC TPS
- Joni Suomela: Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Liiga with Lahti Pelicans
- Matleena Kuusniemi: Finnish actress, writer, and director, best known for her role as Elli Suomela in the 2004 film Lumikki ja seitsemän kääpiötä
- Matias Suomela: Finnish ice hockey player, currently playing for Jokerit in the Kontinental Hockey League
- Aino Suomela: Finnish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for her hit singles "Vadelmavene" and "Päiväkirja"
- Mikko Suomela: Finnish swimmer, currently competing in the European Championships and the Olympic Games
- Jaakko Suomela: Finnish basketball player, currently playing for KTP-Basket of the Korisliiga
- Suvi-Anne Siimes: Finnish actress, best known for her roles as Eeva Suomela in the 2012 television series Kellonajat and as Niina Suomela in the 2014 film Repomaa
- Hanna Suomela: Finnish figure skater, currently competing as a junior in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series