“This topic has been discussed over many years, and some steps have been taken on its behalf. But all that has been little more than a drop in the ocean. A name change every now and then—that is all that has been achieved. There has not yet been some universal lure, something that would pique the interest of one and all. Not even among the students, even though at many a springtime attempts have been made to set such a development in motion.”

So said Johannes Linnankoski in his introductory speech for the 30th anniversary of the Society for the Study of Finnish on March 14th, 1906. Since the previous year the Society had been engaged in a discussion on how best to celebrate the centenary of Johan Vilhelm Snellman. They decided on a great Finnicisation of surnames.

Finnicisation of “alien” surnames had been discussed in Fennoman press as early as the 1850s. Until the turn of the century, however, the movement was little more than a pastime for the intelligentsia. In the 1870s some attention had been given in the press to students who Finnicised their names, but there was to be no popular movement until 1906.

The Fennoman movement, which strongly advocated a national Finnish identity, had appropriated Snellman as their talismanic leader, despite their many disagreements with the ideas of the “national philosopher.” For instance, it was Snellman’s view that it was the educated classes that were in need of Finnicisation as a means to connect them with the people. Many of the leading figures of the Fennoman movement at the turn of the 20th century in turn thought that the people needed to be enlightened before a new national intelligentsia could emerge. The Finnicisation of surnames – providing Finnish calques of Swedish names– was an essential component of this ideal. It was necessary that the Finns should appear to be a civilised nation even to outsiders.

In addition to the Society for the Study of Finnish, the student organisations Suomalainen Nuija (‘The Finnish Cudgel’) and the Student Conversationalist Society participated in the campaign to get people to change their names. They were instrumental in setting up name change committees all over the country, often in conjunction with local committees arranging festivities in honour of Snellman.

Those in charge of the campaign also printed instructions for those wishing to change their names, and did their best to direct the febrile press to their benefit. The campaign was launched with the introduction Linnankoski wrote for the anniversary of the Society for the Study of Finnish on March 14th, titled “Tehtäwä” (‘Mission’). During the following two weeks the text was published in almost every single Finnish language newspaper in the country.

Two significant factors separated the campaign for name change for Snellman’s centenary from those of the previous half-century. Firstly, where the previous efforts had targeted young university students, the campaign of 1906 attempted to reach the masses. Secondly, the agitation felt by the people had reached unprecedented levels. From the beginning of March until Snellman’s anniversary on May 12th, the press ran more exhortations to the public to change their names than they had done during the previous five decades.

The campaign bore fruit. Name changes at the time were still done by way of newspaper announcements, in which only the head of the household was named. Because the rest of the family was glossed over as “his family,” it has been difficult to ascertain the exact number of people who Finnicised their names. Sirkka Paikkala, who has studied the development of Finnish surnames, estimates that number to be slightly in excess of 25,000. Estimates have been considerably higher however.

The centenary of the birth of Snellman, the man thought to be the father of the Fennoman movement, was an excellent opportunity for the campaign. The number of people who Finnicised their surnames was staggering, but even greater was the symbolic value of the endeavour. Young and old alike changed their names, from professors to tenant farmers.

Sources:

• Suomalainen Nuija vuosikertomus 1907–08 (’The Annual Review of the Finnish Cudgel 1907–08’), U2 Vuosikertomukset 1907–1911, Suomalainen Nuija -yhdistyksen arkisto, Kansallisarkisto (’The National Reviews 1907–1911, The Archive of the Finnish Cudgel, the National Archive’).
• Katsaus kotikielen seuran toimintaan 1906–1907 (’Survey of the Activity of the Society for the Study of Finnish in 1906-1907), CD Vuosikokousten pöytäkirjat 1885–2004 ja vuosikertomukset, Kotikielen seuran arkisto, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran kirjallisuusarkisto (‘The Records of the Proceedings of Annual Meetings from 1885-2004 and Annual Reviews, the Archive of The Society for the Study of Finnish, the Literary Archive of the Society of Finnish Literature’).
• Pirjo Mikkonen, Otti oikean sukunimen. Vuosina 1850–1921 otettujen sukunimien taustat (’Taking a Real Name. Background of Surnames taken between 1850-1921’), Helsinki 2013.
• Eeva Maria Närhi, ’Suomalaista sukunimikäytäntöä’ (’Custom of Finnish Surnames’), Kielenkäytön oppaita 1(’Guidance to Language 1’), Helsinki 1996.
• Sirkka Paikkala, Se tavallinen Virtanen. Suomalaisen sukunimikäytännön modernisoituminen 1850-luvulta vuoteen 1921 (’The Common Man. Modernisation of the Usage of Finnish Surnames from the 1850s to 1921’), Tampere 2004.