Finnish exonyms Last updated August 22, 2025
Below is a list of Finnish language exonyms for places in non-Finnish-speaking areas:
Note that the Finnish language inflects place names where English use prepositions like in and to . These variants can affect any place name and are inflections , not exonyms. For example Mene Birminghamiin means Go to Birmingham .
General Foreign place names containing a direction such as South or Upper are often translated, e.g.:
North Carolina → Pohjois-Carolina; Upper Volta → Ylä-Volta
Belgium Belgium BelgiaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Brussels Bryssel Brussel Dutch Bruxelles French
Cuba Cuba KuubaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Havana Havanna La Habana Spanish
Cyprus Cyprus KyprosEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Nicosia Nikosia Lefkoşa Turkish Levkosía Greek
Denmark Denmark TanskaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Copenhagen Kööpenhamina København Danish Jutland Jyllanti, Juutinmaa Jylland Danish
Egypt Egypt EgyptiEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Alexandria Aleksandria Al-Iskandariyya Standard Arabic Aswan Assuan Aswān Standard Arabic Cairo Kairo Al-Qahirah Standard Arabic Nile River Niili an-Nīl Standard Arabic
Estonia Estonian and Finnish are quite closely related and share many words that differ only slightly, such as saar (Estonian) and saari (Finnish) for island . Many Estonian toponyms and even people's names are simply translated into Finnish as if they were Finnish words, creating an unlimited number of potentially existing exonyms. Below are only some frequently encountered examples of these, as well as those where the difference is significant.
Finland Finland SuomiEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Åland Ahvenanmaa Åland Swedish Bergö Susiluoto Bergö Swedish Brandö Präntiö Brandö Swedish Delet Teili Delet Swedish Hammarland Hammarlanti Hammarland Swedish Karlby Kaarlenkylä Karlby Swedish Kökar Köökari [ 1] Kökar Swedish Korsnäs Korsnääsi, Ristitaipale [ 2] Korsnäs Swedish Korsö Koskenpää Korsö Swedish Kumlinge Kumlinki Kumlinge Swedish Lappvesi Lappvesi Swedish Lemland Lemlanti [ 3] Lemland Swedish Liljendal Liljendal Swedish Lumparland Lumparlanti [ 4] Lumparland Swedish Mariehamn Maarianhamina [ 5] Mariehamn Swedish Lumparn Lumpari Lumparn Swedish Sålis Suolaksi Sålis Swedish
The Swedish names for the above are commonly (if not exclusively) used in modern-day Finnish. [ 6] Korsnäs in Ostrobothnia should not be confused with other locations in Finland with the same name (see Korsnäs (disambiguation) ).
Areas with both Finnish-, and Swedish-speaking inhabitants have endonymic place names in both languages. Due to changing demographics, some monolingually Swedish areas have historical Finnish names inherited from earlier Finnish-speaking inhabitants. For example, Molpe , a village of Korsnäs is Moikipää in Finnish.
France France RanskaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Corsica Korsika Corse French Nice Nizza Nice French Paris Pariisi Paris French
Greece Ancient transcriptions that do not reflect modern pronunciation are used in some cases, e.g. Herakleion ("Iraklion").
Greece KreikkaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Athens Ateena Athína Greek Corfu Korfu Kerkýra Greek Crete Kreeta Kríti Greek Piraeus Pireus Piraiás Greek
Iran Iran English name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Tehrān Teheran Tehrān Persian
Israel Israel English name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Dead Sea Kuollutmeri Al-Bahr al-Mayyit Arabic Yam ha-Melah Hebrew Jerusalem Jerusalem Al-Quds Arabic Yerushalayim Hebrew
Italy Italy ItaliaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Pompeii Pompeiji Pompeii Latin ancient city Pompei Italian Rome Rooma Roma Italian Sicily Sisilia Sicilia Italian Venice Venetsia Venezia Italian
Lebanon Lebanon LibanonEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Beqaa Valley Bekaanlaakso Wādī l-Biqā' Arabic Mount Hermon Hermonvuori Har Hermon Hebrew Jabal al-Shaykh, Jabal Haramun Arabic Mount Lebanon Libanonvuoret Ṭūr Levnon Syriac Jabal Lubnān Arabic Tripoli Tripoli, Tripolis Ṭarābulus Arabic Tyre Tyros, Tyyros Ṣūr Arabic, Phoenician
Lithuania Lithuania LiettuaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Vilnius Vilna Vilnius Lithuanian
Portugal Portugal PortugaliEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Lisbon Lissabon Lisboa Portuguese
Romania Romania English name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Bucharest Bukarest București Romanian
Russia Note that Finnish was formerly an official language in the Republic of Karelia and is still widely used there, and some places in what was Finnish territory until World War II have been given new Russian names; thus, Finnish names of Karelian places are not all strictly exonyms.
Russia VenäjäEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Apatity Apatiitti Arkhangelsk Arkangeli, Vienankaupunki Архангельск / Arkhangelsk Russian Belomorsk Sorokka Beloostrov Valkeasaari Bolshaya Izhora Haisevaisi Bolshoy Tyuters Tytärsaari Borisoglebsky Kolttaköngäs Борисоглебский / Borisoglebsky Russian Chudovo Tšudovo, Tiutova Gatchina Hatsina Gubanicy Kupanitsa Hogland, Gogland Suursaari Ivangorod Iivananlinna Izhora Inkere Kamennogorsk Antrea Kandalakshi Kantalahti, Kannanlahti Kem (Vienan) Kemi Kingisepp Jaama Kirovsk Hiipinä Kobrino Koprina Kola Kuola Kolpany Kolppana Koltushi Keltto Komarovo Kellomäki Комарово / Komarovo Russian Kondopoga Kontupohja Kondupohju Karelian Koporka Kaprionjoki Koporye Kaprio Kostomuksha Kostamus Koštamuš Karelian Kotlin Retusaari Kotly Kattila Kovdor Koutero Kovdozero Kananen Kronstadt Kronstadt, Kronstatti Кронштадт / Kronshtadt Russian Kurovitsy Kukkosi Kukkuzi Votic Kuyto Kuittijärvet Kuzyomkino Kosemkina, Narvusi Lake Ilmen Ilmajärvi Lake Kolvitskoye Kolvitsanjärvi Lake Kovdozero Koutajärvi Lake Keret Kierettijärvi Lake Lämmi Kuumajärvi Tyopoloye ozero Russian Lake Ladoga Laatokka, Nevajärvi Lake Leksozero Lieksajärvi Lake Lovozero Luujärvi Lake Nyuk Nuokkijärvi Lake Onega Ääninen, Äänisjärvi Änine, Änižjärv Veps Oniegu(-järve) Karelian Lake Pyaozero Pääjärvi Lake Segozero Seesjärvi Lake Syamozero Säämäjärvi Seämärvi Karelian Lake Topozero Tuoppajärvi Lake Tolvayarvi Tolvajärvi Lake Tulos Tuulijärvi Lake Yaglyarvi Ägläjärvi Lake Yanisyarvi Jänisjärvi Lake Vodlozero Vodlajärvi Lake Vygozero Uikujärvi Lebyazhye Lepäsi Лебяжье / Lebyazhye Lembolovo Lempaala Liinakhamari Liinahamari Лиинахамари / Liinakhamari Russian Lisino Liissilä Lodeynoye Pole Lotinapelto, Pellonlinna Luga Laukaa, Ylä-Laukaa Markovo Markkova, Loppi, Lopenkolkka Martyshkino Tyrö Medvezhyegorsk Karhumäki Karhumägi Karelian Mga Namkku [ 7] Moloskovitsy Valkeakirkko, Moloskovitsa Moscow Moskova Москва / Moskva Russian Moshchny Lavansaari Murmansk Muurmanni, Muurmanski Nikel Nikkeli, Kolosjoki Никель / Nikel Russian Nikolskoye Lomkka Nikulyasy Miikkulainen Novaya Ladoga Uusi-Laatokka, Uusi Laatokankaupunki Novosyolki Novasolkka Nyenschantz Nevanlinna Nyenskans, Nyen Swedish Former Swedish Ingrian town and fortress Olonets Aunuksenkaupunki, Aunuksenlinna, Aunus Anuksenlinnu Karelian Onega Ääninen Oranienbaum Kaarosta Osinovaya Rossha Haapakangas Pechenga Petsamo Печенга / Pechenga Russian Pechory Petseri Petergof Pietarhovi, Kuusoja Petrozavodsk Petroskoi; Äänislinna Latter name used during 1941–1944 Povenets Poventsa Povenča Karelian Priozersk Käkisalmi Pskov Pihkova Pudozh Puudosi, Puutoinen, Puudoži Pudož Veps Puudoži Karelian Repino Kuokkala Ropsha Ropsu Ryabovo Rääpyvä Saint Petersburg Pietari Санкт-Петербург / Sankt-Peterburg Russian Segezha Sege(h)e, Seke(h)e Seskar Seiskari Siberia Siperia Сибирь / Sibir Russian Sestroretsk Siestarjoki Shlisselburg Pähkinälinna, Pähkinäsaari Schlüsselburg German Shlisselburg Fortress Pähkinäsaaren linna Oreshek Russian Skvoritsy Skuoritsa, Kuoritsa Slavyanka Venjoki Soikino Soikkola Sosnovy Bor Uustia Staraya Ladoga Laatokankaupunki, Laatokanlinna, Vanha-Laatokka Stolbovo Stolbova Svetogorsk Enso Svir Syväri Svobodnoye Kirvu Syas Säsjoki Tikhvin Tihvinä Tikhvinka river Tihvinänjoki Toksovo Toksova Tosno Tusina, Tosna Tyaglino Tääkeli, Tääkkeli Ust-Luga Laukaansuu Volkhov Olhava Vsevolozhsk Seuloskoi Vuoly Vuole Vyborg Viipuri Viborg Swedish Vyborgskiy zaliv Viipurinlahti Vyg Uikujoki Yarvosol Järvisaari Zelenogorsk Terijoki Zemlyanoye Pummanki Zherebyatki Serepetta
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi-ArabiaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Mecca Mekka Makkah Arabic Riyadh Riad Riyaḍ Arabic
Serbia Serbia English name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Belgrade Belgrad Beograd Serbian
Spain Spain EspanjaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Tenerife Teneriffa Tenerife Spanish
Sweden Northern Sweden has a Finnish/Meänkieli -speaking minority and thus some place names are derived from Finnish, making them not exonyms. There are several more Finnish place names in this area.
Several place names of genuinely Swedish places, more than these, have been modified due to the much differing Finnish pronunciation principles. Meänkieli names have usually been slightly modified when picked up by Swedish language. Some Meänkieli names, at least closer to the mountains, were originally Sami, but were modified when picked up into Finnish.
Sweden RuotsiEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Dalecarlia Taalainmaa Dalarna Swedish Gällivare Jällivaara, Jellivaara Gällivare Swedish Jellivaara is the Meänkieli form Haparanda Haaparanta Haparanda Swedish * Founded with Finnish name Jokkmokk Jokimukka Jokkmokk Swedish Founded with Sami name Kalix Kainuu Kalix Swedish * Karesuando Karesuvanto Karesuando Swedish * Founded with Finnish name Kiruna Kiiruna Kiruna Swedish * Founded with Finnish name Korpilombolo Korpilompolo Korpilombolo Swedish * Luleå Luulaja Luleå Swedish Överkalix Ylikainuu Överkalix Swedish * Övertorneå Matarenki Övertorneå Swedish * Piteå Piitime Piteå Swedish Scania Skoone Skåne Swedish Stockholm Tukholma Stockholm Swedish Svanstein Turtola Svanstein Swedish * Tärendö Täräntö Tärendö Swedish * Founded with Finnish name Umeå Uumaja Umeå Swedish Uppsala Upsala Uppsala Swedish
* marks place names in traditionally Finnish/Meänkieli -speaking areas.
Syria Syria SyyriaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Damascus Damaskos Dimašq Arabic Latakia Lattakia Al-Laḏiqiyah Arabic
Turkey Turkey TurkkiEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Edirne Adrianopoli Edirne Turkish historic Adrianoúpoli Greek Ephesus Efesos Éphesos Greek ancient city Antakya Antiokia Antakya Turkish Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou Greek Istanbul Konstantinopoli İstanbul Turkish historic Konstantinoúpolis Greek İzmir Smyrna İzmir Turkish historic Smýrni Greek Troy Troija Troíā Greek ancient city
Ukraine Ukraine UkrainaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language Kharkiv Harkova Kharkiv Ukrainian Kyiv Kiova Kyiv Ukrainian Poltava Pultava Poltava Ukrainian
United Kingdom United Kingdom Iso-BritanniaEnglish name Finnish name Endonym Notes Name Language London Lontoo London English
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
