Finnicization

Finnicization (also finnicisation, fennicization, fennicisation) is the changing of one's personal names from other languages (usually Swedish) into Finnish. During the era of National Romanticism in Finland, many people, especially Fennomans, finnicized their previously Swedish family names.

Some of these people were descended from Finnish-speaking farmers who had previously changed their Finnish names to Swedish ones after climbing the social ladder. This was an understandable stratagem, as official positions (and even many trades) were open only to those who spoke Swedish, and a Finnish name would have been an impediment to success.

A notable event in finnicization was the centenary, in 1906, 100 years after the birth of the philosopher and statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman. The author Johannes Linnankoski encouraged Finns to give up their Swedish names on 12 May, Snellman's birthday. During 1906 and 1907, about 70,000 Finns changed their names.

In 1935, 74,064 persons also changed their family name, and in the following year, 24,000 more. A law to facilitate changing one's family name was passed in 1934.

The 1906-1907 name change process in Finland was a model for Estonianizing family names in Estonia. Although the law had been in effect since 1919, the mass changes took place during the second wave in Finland, 1935-1940, and a similar law facilitating changes to one's family name was passed just two weeks earlier than in Finland. During that time 195,000 persons or 17% of the Estonian population changed their family name.