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Aino (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aino
The Aino tryptych by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
PronunciationEye-no
Genderfemale
Language(s)Finnish, Estonian, Japanese
Origin
Meaning"only"
Other names
See alsoAina (given name)

Aino is a female given name used in Finland, Estonia, and Japan.

The name Aino, meaning "the only one" in Finnish, was devised by Elias Lönnrot, who compiled, from surviving oral folk sources which he had collected, the Kalevala. In this epic poem, Aino is a beautiful girl who seems to wish to drown herself rather than marry the elderly Väinämöinen. She is later on unexpectedly lost in the water while bathing in a strange, unknown lake. In the original poems, she is mentioned as "the only daughter" (ainoa tyttö).[1]

National romanticism

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During the national romantic period in Finland at the end of the 19th century the mythological name Aino was adopted as a Christian name by Fennoman activists. Among the first to be named so were Aino Järnefelt (Aino Sibelius), born 1871 and Aino Krohn (the later Aino Kallas), born 1878.

According to the Finnish Population Register Centre, over 60,000 women have been given the name. It was especially popular in the early 20th century, and the most common first name for women in the 1920s.[2] It has returned to favor in the 21st century; it has been a popular name for girls born in Finland in recent years.[3][4] Aina is a variant.

As of 1 January 2023, Aino is the 73rd most popular female name in Estonia.[5]

Japanese use

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Aino is also a feminine name in use in Japan, with different origins and different meanings depending on the combinations of kanji that are used to spell the name.[6]

Notable people

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Notes

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  1. ^ Behind the Name
  2. ^ "Population Register Center". Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  3. ^ Helsingin Sanomat, October 16, 2007.Aino and Eetu top list of most popular children's names. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
  4. ^ "V?est?rekisterikeskus - Aino ja Veeti vuoden 2009 suosikkinimet". www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi. Archived from the original on 2010-10-12.
  5. ^ "Aino". Eesti nimide statistika (in Estonian). 1 January 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Aino - girl(female) name meanings".