Name Planning
The Institute for the Languages of Finland oversees language planning for Finnish, Swedish, Saami, Finnish Sign Language and Romany. Name planning is an integral part of this work. Statutory Language Boards for each of these languages act as our resident name planning experts. Their task is to issue decisions-in-principle and general recommendations on the use of toponyms and proper names.
The goals of our name
planning work are to:
- preserve Finnish toponymic traditions and
familiarise the public with traditional naming practices;
- ensure that new place names, both in zoned
urban and rural areas, are appropriate and compatible with traditional
place names;
- oversee the Finnish name system, ensuring that
new first names and surnames are appropriate and compatible with existing
Finnish traditions and legislation;
- ensure that imported proper names comply
with Finnish legislation and the existing Finnish name system;
- influence the selection and usage of names
of government offices, institutions, companies, associations, trademarks,
etc.
- standardise and oversee the correct and unambiguous
usage of foreign place names in compliance with established practices and
internationally approved principles.
Our work in this field is based on research into
existing Finnish onomastic traditions, specialist literature published in
References to foreign
proper names, geographical place names, product names, companies and other
names are frequent in everyday speech and writing. In cooperation with foreign
language experts, our name planning experts issue guidelines on how foreign
names should be used in Finnish contexts.
Our success in this work is
dependent on close collaboration with Finnish government offices, institutions,
the media, neighbouring countries and the United Nations Group of Experts on
Geographical Place Names (UNGEGN).
