Finnish Mythology Dog Names

Introduction

Finnish paganism, commonly described as Finnish mythology, in general, is quite fascinating. It is connected to the Estonian mythology, but also shares a lot of similarities with Slavic and Baltic mythologies, combining the beautiful, whimsical worlds. As with other beliefs in the world, it survived through oral tradition and poems. The holy animal of Finnish mythology is the bear, the world is structured as the upper half of the egg, kind of like a dome, and the Earth is flat. There are many gods and demigods that rule the planet, and each one of them has an interesting backstory and a fascinating role in this world. Therefore, choosing one of their names as the new moniker for your dog will surely be fun and educational for you and everyone around you.

Finnish Mythology Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Dog with a Finnish Mythology Name

Laika

Okay, okay, we hear you, wasn’t Laika a Russian dog? Well, yes, but she was also the first dog to ever go out into outer space and head towards the moon, which also happens to be the name of one of the most important goddesses in Finnish mythology – Kuu. How are Laika and Kuu connected? Well, the adorable doggo was a stray dog on the streets of Moscow, when she was found and elected to be sent into space and orbit the Earth just like its natural satellite, the Moon.

For a long time, the Moon was represented as a sort of a deity in many cultures around the world, including Finland. The ancient epic poem Kalevala tells the tale of Kuu, the goddess of the moon. She was the daughter of Ilmatar, a virgin spirit of the air. According to the legend, an egg fell from the abyss and cracked open on Ilmatar’s knee. The broken parts of the egg created the universe. The yolk became the sun, and the egg white became the moon or Kuu.

Just like Kuu, Laika became famous by complete accident. She was just a mongrel roaming the chilly streets of Moscow when the scientists found her, adopted her, and decided to give her the honor of being the first living being in space. The scientists didn’t do her a favor though since she did end up dying in outer space, but her legacy lives on. She was a part of this experiment since the scientists were not sure how living beings would react and even survive in the harsh conditions in outer space. However, Laika’s adventure proved that living beings can, in fact, survive the launching into the orbit and that they can survive and endure in the micro-g environment.

Laika’s brave strides were not forgotten. In 2008, a monument was unveiled in Moscow in her honor. She is also memorialized in the form of a statue at Star City in Russia, where she is depicted between the astronauts with a big smile on her face. She was also immortalized in a movie called My Life as a Dog, and in the graphic novel by Nick Abadzis.

Laika, just like Kuu, is a symbol of the mysterious distances of the night sky. Both rule the outer space, and both shine as bright as the moon on a clear night sky. Both of them are heroines in their way, and both of them keep inspiring generations of people all over the world!

Finnish Mythology Dog Name Considerations

Finding the perfect name for your doggo is not an easy task, however, if you are inspired by the Finnish mythology, that task becomes much simpler. With the plethora of gods, demigods, and heroes from the Finnish folklore, your options are substantial, so finding the perfect moniker is not that intimidating. You can start by researching the Finnish deities, which, in the era of the Internet is easier than ever. Then, you can find the general “field” of interest of the gods that tickled your fancy and go by that. For example, you can choose to name your fluffy dog after the sacred animal in the Finnish mythology, the bear. If this sounds interesting, choose the name Karhu, which means bear in Finnish, or maybe Kontio, which translates to the “dweller of the land.”

If you are more interested in the gods, start with Ukko, the god of thunder and sky, similar to Zeus in the Greek mythology. Ukko is usually depicted as an old man carrying a hammer, sword, or an axe, from which he can strike lightning and cause thunders. Or, perhaps the name Ilmarinen is more for you. Ilmarinen was the smith who made heaven and the spirit of air. Kave was the ancient god of the sky, and Lempo is the spirit of fertility. Luonnotar is the spirit of nature and the creator of all female creatures. As you can see, the options are many, so you will surely find a name that works best for your doggo.

Male Finnish Mythology Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Ukko After the Finnish god of storms and lightning
1	Tapio After the god of hunting and master of the wood spirits
1	Tursas After a malevolent sea monster and the lord of the sea shores
1	Väinämöinen A demigod and hero of the ancient North
1	Lempo God of love and fertility; alternatively, he is a malevolent god who commands the demons of the forests
1	Kauko After the Finnish trickster god
1	Hiisi After Lempo's henchman, demonic or trickster-like entity
1	Kul The half-fish water spirit in the Finnish mythology
1	Kied After Kied Kie Jubmel, the god of the herds
1	Kie After Kied Kie Jubmel, the god of the herds
1	Nyyrikki After the god of the hunt and cattle, Tapio and Mielikki's son
1	Paha A demonic spirit, Lempo's helper
1	Surma A large demonic dog who can turn people into stone with his gaze
1	Lalli An apocryphal person in Finnish folklore who killed Bishop Henry on the lake Köyliönjärvi
1	Äkräs After the god of fertility, turnip, beans, peas, cabbage, flax, and hemp
-1	Ahti After the god of seas, lakes, rivers, and water in general
-1	Ilmarinen After the primeval god in Finnish mythology, ruler of the winds, and god of travelers
-1	Lemminkäinen One of the heroes of the Kalevala, often depicted as a handsome young man with red hair
-1	Erlik A Finnish demigod and a spirit of creation
-1	Ilma Also known as Ether, the god of air
-1	Joulupukki The spirit of charity, also known as a version of Santa Claus
-1	Jumala The god of the sky
-1	Leib-Olmai After the god of good luck who lives in the trees and gives good luck to hunters who hunt bears
-1	Madderatcha After the Finnish god of fertility, husband to Madder Akka
-1	Ovda A demon who dwells in the forests and lures people in by appearing as a naked man or a naked woman
-1	Sampsa After Sampsa Pellervoinen, a mythological person who sows everything
-1	Thermes After the god of thunder
-1	Väinämöinen The main character in the epic Kalevala; god of songs and poetry
-1	Ulgan The Finnish deity of creation

Female Finnish Mythology Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Pekko God of crops, especially barley, protector of the fields, and god of brewing
1	Mielikki The goddess of forests and the hunt
1	Ilmatar After the virgin spirit of the air, impregnated by the sea and wind
1	Kalma After the goddess of death and decay
1	Aijo An evil spirit who lives in the woods and breeds serpents
1	Haltia A Finnish fairy, who can be a forest spirit, a water spirit, or an air spirit
1	Kivutar A malicious goddess of pain and suffering
1	Kyllikki A young beautiful maiden who vowed to be faithful to Ahti, but broke her promise
1	Louhi After a wicked queen of Pohjola, a shapeshifter and a powerful witch
1	Marjatta A virgin who got pregnant by swallowing a cowberry
1	Sarakka The goddess of fertility, menstruation, love, sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth
1	Tellervo The goddess of forests, Tapio's daughter
1	Tuulikki The goddess of the woods and nature
1	Vammatar The goddess of pain, disease, and suffering
1	Ava After Ved-ava, a creature similar to a mermaid who seduces humans with her singing
1	Vellamo The goddess of water, lakes and seas, worshiped by the fishermen
1	Näkki A shapeshifting water spirit who preys on the children
1	Kuutar The Maiden of the Moon, aka the goddess of the moon
1	Rauni After Ukko's consort
1	Tuonetar After the Queen of the Underworld and Tuoni's wife
-1	Kuu After the goddess of the moon
-1	Akka After the wife of Ukko and the goddess of fertility
-1	Ajatar An evil female spirit who lives in the forest and spreads disease and pestilence
-1	Juksakka A spirit, protector of children, also known as "akka with an arrow"
-1	Loviatar A goddess of death and disease who was impregnated by the wind and gave birth to nine sons, known as Nine Diseases
-1	Maderakka Goddess of women and children, mother of Sarakka, Juksakka, and Uksakka
-1	Kiputyttö The goddess of pain and illness, who casts spells which actually alleviate the pain
-1	Manala Another name for Tuonela, aka underworld
-1	Päivätär Maiden of the Day - the goddess of the sun
-1	Suonetar The goddess of blood, veins, and blood vessels
-1	Jabme-Akka After "the akka of the dead", goddess of the underworld