Finnish bear names from Juha Pentikäinen's book Karhun kannoilla (Etnika 2005) (via Yle's Aristoteleen kantapää) and from the Bear Cabal Karhuseura.
Tapio | The god of forest in Finnish mythology, also a male given name | |
Metsän kuningas | King of the forest | |
Korven kuningas | Deep-forest king | |
Metsävanhus | Old one (senior citizen) of the forest | |
Metsänvanhus | Old one (senior citizen) of the forest | |
Mettän vanhus | Old one (senior citizen) of the forest | |
Metsänvaari | Grandpa of the forest | |
Ukko | The god of heaven in Finnish mythology; old man, gaffer; a male given name | |
Metsän ukko | Forest's god of heaven | |
Ukkonen | Thunder | |
Jumala | God | |
Metävoari | ||
Metävvoari | ||
Mettänäijä | Old man of forest | |
Äijä | Old man, geezer, gaffer; (slang) a real man, tough guy | |
Vanha | Old | |
Vanhamies | Old man | |
Vanha antti | Old Andrew | |
Mies | Man | |
Esi-isä | Ancestor | |
Aikamies | Adult man | |
Metsänmies | Forest man | |
Kultaherra | Gold gentleman | |
Korvenherra | Deep-forest gentleman | |
Suuremmainen | ||
Suuri herra | Big gentleman | |
Aika Poika | Quite the boy, a good boy; used to praise a male person or animal | |
Kainunpoika | ||
Poikais | ||
Tätinipoika | Son of my aunt | |
Vierryn poika | ||
Nalle | (playfully) bear, teddybear. Originally a loan from Swedish where it is derived from the name Natanael | |
Nallepoika | Teddy boy | |
Nalli | Young bear, female bear or female cat; possibly a variant of “naaras” (female) | |
Tapiotar | The goddess of forest in Finnish mythology | |
Mielikki | Finnish goddess of the forest, female given name | |
Nokinen mies | Sooty man | |
Nokinen neiti | Sooty maiden | |
Nokinen poika | Sooty boy | |
Neiti | Maiden | |
Neitoseni | My maiden | |
Kaunoinen | Beautiful (poetic) | |
Kaunoseni | My beautiful (poetic or dated); Kauno also a male given name | |
Veliseni | My brother | |
Veitoseni | ||
Hän | He, she or singular they | |
Itse | Itself | |
Se | It | |
Matti | Matthew | |
Maurihinen | ||
Suuripää | Great head | |
Leilipää | Flagon head | |
Leilipää mies | Flagon-head man | |
Kiirasilmä | Evil-spirit eye | |
Halliparta | Greybeard. “Halli” is a term for dog in Kalevala, also for Grey seal. | |
Harvahammas | Rare tooth | |
Kultahammas | Gold tooth | |
Hallavanahka | ||
Pitkävilla | Long wool | |
Karvahousu | Hairy trousers | |
Vihtahousu | Sauna-whisk trousers; vihta is a bough of birch twigs with leaves. Vihtahousu can also refer to the Devil/Satan | |
Kultarinta | Gold chest | |
Musta Rinta | Black chest | |
Rusko | Brown horse, dawn, twilight | |
Karvajalka | Hairy leg | |
Suuri Jalka | Great leg | |
Kärmenjalka | Snake leg | |
Karvalallu | ||
Jalkakyntylä | ||
Mesikämmen | Nectar palm | |
Mesikäpälä | Nectar paw | |
Mezikäpälä | Nectar paw | |
Mezikäbälä | Nectar paw | |
Mesijä | ||
Isokäpälä | Big paw | |
Mesiloappa | ||
Kämmen imijä | Nectar sucker | |
Kultakämmen | Gold palm | |
Leviä kämmen | Spread palm | |
Käpälä | Paw | |
Kynnet | Claws | |
Isommainen | ||
Isomminen | ||
Isompi | Bigger | |
Kusiaistennuolija | Licker of ants; “kusiainen” can refer to Myrmica rubra or to ants in general||
Kusialaistennuolija | Variation of Licker of ants||
Musta mulkku | Black cock, dick | |
Luukyrpä | Bone cock, dick | |
Kontio | (euphemistic) bear | |
Kondio | ||
Kontian | ||
Kontiainen | Crawler. From “kontata”, to crawl on all fours | |
Kondii | ||
Kontii | ||
Kouki | ||
Kouko | ||
Kouvo | Variant of “kouko”; a term used for various evil beings in Finnish folklore | |
Kurko | King | |
Koltso | ||
Kuntsa | ||
Autuas | Blessed, blissful, glorified | |
Hyvä | Good | |
Hopii | ||
Kulta | gold (metal); darling, dear, baby (term of endearment) | |
Kaima | Namesake | |
Källervöinen | ||
Källeröinen | ||
Käretyinen | ||
Kääröseni | My scroll | |
Könnikäinen | ||
Könninkäinen | ||
Köntiäinen | ||
Kirmijäini | ||
Lallokki | ||
Lullamoinen | ||
Mehtäläinen | The one of the forest | |
Misko | ||
Mömmö | Sludge, ooze, muck, goo; drug, narcotic | |
Mönni | ||
Mönningäinen | ||
Menninkäinen | The gnome | |
Monningäinen | ||
Mönninkäinen | ||
Möntti | The lump | |
Mönttö | ||
Mörkö | A bogeyman or bugbear (imaginary creature meant to inspire fear in children) | |
Mörri | ||
Mössi | ||
Mössikkä | ||
Mötti | Lump, chunk | |
Mött | ||
Pöppö | ||
Pökkä | ||
Putkitar | ||
Sykkö | ||
Töötötöö | ||
Metsä | Forest | |
Mehtä | Forest | |
Mettä | Forest | |
Iso Metsä | Big forest | |
Isoomettä | Big forest | |
Metsähinen | ||
Metsäläinen | Forest one | |
Metällinen | ||
Metsänpekko | Forest god or spirit of cultivation in Finnish mythology. Pekko also a rare male given name, Peter | |
Haltia | Elf | |
Metsänhaltija | Forest elf | |
Metän elukka | Forest animal, critter, brute | |
Metsän otus | Forest creature | |
Metsähippa | Forest tag (the children's game) | |
Metsän hevonen | Forest horse | |
Metsän hiisi | Forest goblin, devil, demon, hell; hiisi also a malicious creature in Finnish mythology | |
Metsän härkä | Forest ox | |
Metsän kirjava | Forest's coloured, mottled, iridescent, multicolored | |
Metsän kirjavaa | ||
Metsän hopea | Forest's silver | |
Metsän kulta | Forest's gold | |
Metsän kultainen kuningas | Forest's golden king | |
Metsän kultainen omena | Forest's golden apple | |
Metsän lieko | Forest clubmoss | |
Metän mälvi | ||
Metsän omena | Forest apple | |
Metsän onni | Forest happiness, luck | |
Puhdas Metsä | Clean, unpolluted, innocent forest | |
Puhas Elävä | The clean living one | |
Metsän väri | Forest's colour | |
Metsänmörkkö | Forest bogeyman | |
Metsänmyyrtäjä | ||
Metsänpitäjä | Forest keeper, holder | |
Metsänvieri | Forest side | |
Metsän kissa | Forest cat | |
Eläin | Animal | |
Härköinen | ||
Hurta | Hound | |
Koira | Dog | |
Rakki | Mongrel, mutt, pooch, cur | |
Lintunen | Little bird | |
Iso Kurki | Big crane | |
Kurki | Crane | |
Uuhi | Ewe | |
Uuho | ||
Otso | Bear (poetic) | |
Otsonen | Little bear | |
Ohto | Nickname for a bear, a derivative of oksi. Also a rare male given name | |
Otto | ||
Ohtonen | Little bear | |
Ohtoseni | My little bear | |
Osmo | ||
Otava | Name for the Ursa Major constellation | |
Paha | Bad, ill; evil; difficult, hard, tricky | |
Paha karsi | Bad snuff | |
Pataryssä | Cauldron Russkie/complete Russkie | |
Peto | Meat-eating beast, predator; carnivore; monster | |
Vihasesi | ||
Lehmän syöjä | Cow eater | |
Lehmänpelko | Cow's fear, dread | |
Maan kavala | Earth's treacherous | |
Metänpeto | Beast of the forest | |
Ryökämöinen | ||
Pöykäre | ||
Pöykär | ||
Riista | Taker, ripper, wrencher, snatcher | |
Saalis | Prey, catch | |
Sualis | ||
Erä | Game, catch | |
Metsän vilja | Forest crop | |
Jumalan vilja | God's crop | |
Vilja | Crop | |
Viljakontti | ||
Vaaranvierijä | ||
Vieras | Guest, visitor, stranger |