Finland’s tourist board has come up with a novel way to promote their country’s tourism prospects: The Finngenerator, a website that automatically turns your given name into a Finnish name.
According to the site,
“Finland is a country where things are based on nature and old mythology. Even people’s names are inspired by the woods, animals and mythological characters.
Have a try and find your inner Finn by changing your name. Just type your name here and let the generator tell you what you would be called if you were a Finn.”
Let’s give it a try, shall we?
My name is Alison Kroulek, but apparently in Finnish I would be called “Hilla Halla,” which translates to “Cloudberry Forest.” Mmmm, cloudberries…
Our fearless leader Richard Brooks’ Finnish alter ego is Ahti Ilvesniemi. “Ahti” is the Finnish god of the sea, and “Ilvesniemi” means “lynx cape.”
In Finnish, our marketing manager Johnny Henchman would be known as Pyry Petäjä. “Pyry” means blizzard, and
“Petäjä” means “Pine Tree.”
According to the Daily Mail, which translated a bunch of celebrity names, Kanye West comes out with the Finnish moniker “Sampo Ilvesniemi,” which the newspaper notes is a
“curious combination of a mythical money-maker and a fearsome wild cat. ‘Sampo’ is the name of a magical mill in the Kalevala which creates riches, Ilvesniemi refers to the sharp-toothed lynx.”
Actually, according to the Finngenerator, “Ilvesniemi” refers to a lynx cape rather than the beast itself. So, Kanye ‘s Finnish name would roughly translate to “a magical moneymaking mill with a flamboyant sense of fashion.” How apropos.
Each name “translation” is accompanied by a gorgeous photograph of a scene from Finland, the better to lure you into coming to visit.
What’s your Finnish name? Share it in the comments!