Surname Pulkkinen - Meaning and Origin
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Pulkkinen: What does the surname Pulkkinen mean?
The last name Pulkkinen is of Finnish origin, and has several possible meanings. It can be thought of as a combination of two ancient words: “pulkki”, which translates to “group”, or “collection” and “nen” which has meanings relating to “forest”, “place” and “ownership”. The most likely translation is that of “group of owners in the forest”.
The surname Pulkkinen can be found in multiple countries, mainly in Finland, Sweden and Estonia, signalling its potential of being one of the oldest and most respected surnames in Scandinavian history.
The original Pulkkinen families are believed to have come from the Karelian and Savo regions in Scandinavia, regions with deep roots in both Finnish and Swedish history.
Pulkkinen families are mainly located in Finland, Sweden and Estonia, however, due to immigration, the surname can also be found in other countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
Overall, the Pulkkinen family tree is rooted in the rich culture and history of Scandanavia. Its meaning conveys the original owners of the forests; a group of people who were dedicated to the preservation and protection of their heritage. This is the legacy of the Pulkkinen family, one of pride, strength and resilience.
Order DNA origin analysisPulkkinen: Where does the name Pulkkinen come from?
The last name PULKKINEN is most prevalent in Finland. According to the 2019 Population Register Centre of Finland, PULKKINEN is the 13th most common surname in the country, with 22, 845 individuals registered.
PULKKINEN is derived from Finnish pulkka, which means a hill or mound. It is thought to have first been adopted as a surname in the 16th century by people whose home, farm, or business was located on a small elevating mound in what is now Finland and northern Russia.
In addition to Finland, the surname is common in areas of Estonia, Latvia, and Norway where people of Finnish descent have emigrated. Finland has a large diaspora, and members of the PULKKINEN family can be found in many countries around the world.
In the United States, people with the surname PULKKINEN primarily live in northern states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as in Maine and New York, which have populations of Finnish ancestry. The name is also found in Canada, particularly in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
Other countries where the surname PULKKINEN is relatively common include Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In Australia, there are small enclaves of Finnish people spread out along the country’s east coast, and in New Zealand, PULKKINEN is occasionally encountered in the southern island.
Variations of the surname Pulkkinen
The surname PULKKINEN is a variant spelling of the Finnish surname Pullinen. In addition to its original spelling, it also has several other variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin such as Pulkinen, Pölkkinen, Pulikka, Pullka, and Pullikka.
The family Pulkkinen may have originated in eastern Finland, especially near the Russian border, where dialect forms of the name Pulkinen are more common. The origin of the name is unknown, though some sources suggest that it is a borrowing from Russian.
The Pullkinen variant of the name was first recorded in Finland in 1522, when Hååkon Pååkinen was registered in Rääkkylä, Kymenlaakso. Since then, various variant spellings of the surname have been found in Finland, especially in other parts of the Eastern province. It is also found in other parts of northern Europe, including Germany, as well as the United States and Canada.
The Pullkinen surname is also found commonly in the United States, where the variant spellings Pulkkinen, Pulkinen, and Pullikka have the highest census numbers. The spelling Pullkinen is the most common variant in this country, and is often used interchangeably with the original Pulkkinen.
The Pulkinen surname is still popular in Finland today, and is also found in other parts of the Scandinavian region, such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In these countries, the variants Pullkinen, Pullka, and Pölkkinen are the most common variations of the surname.
Famous people with the name Pulkkinen
- Teemu Pulkkinen: professional hockey player from Finland currently playing for the New Jersey Devils.
- Kerkko Pulkkinen: business man from Finland.
- Teppo Pulkkinen: Finnish actor.
- Hannele Pulkkinen: Finnish writer.
- Antti Pulkkinen: former Finnish professional ice hockey player.
- Sauli Pulkkinen: Finnish politician, currently a Member of Parliament from the Centre Party of Finland.
- Esa Pulkkinen: Finnish ski-jumper and four-time Olympian.
- Antti Pulkkinen: Finnish sprint canoer.
- Maarit Pulkkinen: Finnish Nordic combined skier.
- Laura Pulkkinen: Finnish politician and Member of Parliament from the Centre Party.
- Reijo Pulkkinen: professional hockey player who played for the Finnish national team in four World Championships and the 1998 Winter Olympics.
- Juha Pulkkinen: Finnish general, the Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces from 2005–2010.
- Marko Pulkkinen: Finnish track cyclist.
- Jarmo Pulkkinen: Finnish professional ice hockey coach and former player.
- Esko Pulkkinen: Finnish golf trainer and golf course general manager.