50+ Cute Finnish Pet Names You Need to Know

If you’re a proud pet parent, choosing the perfect name for your beloved pet is an exciting and meaningful task.

The Finnish language offers a treasure trove of charming names that could capture your heart like they have captured so many Finnish hearts.

Have some fun scrolling through these unique names and nicknames, and maybe even add an extra dose of charm and character to your furry friend’s life!

Whether you’re seeking a name for your fluffy feline, wagging canine, or any other adorable creature that graces your home, I hope this article will inspire and delight you.

Cute Finnish pet names for any gender and animal

One fun thing about Finnish pet names is that plenty of them work for both genders and many types of animals. If you feel that your animal companion deserves a name that reflects their personality and captures their magic, warmth, color or parts of their character, these cute names might be just right for them.

Nätti and Söpö

Nätti is a lovely word that means pretty or beautiful and has a very cute ring to it, and Söpö actually means cute. They contain the letters ä and ö, so make sure you have an easy way to tell your vet, friends, family, and possibly other dog walkers what to call your pet.

Nöpö and Nöpöliini

This sounds like a combination of the first two, but it’s commonly used to describe a cute nose. Nöpö-nenä describes a small round nose and can be used about any cute nose. This makes it perfect to describe a cute pet, from bunnies to kitties.

Nöpöliini is simply a version of this with a diminutive ending often used for loving nicknames. You could add it to any Finnish name and make it instantly cuter.

Kuura, Lumi and Pyry

There are several words for snow, ice, and frozen water in many other forms in Finnish, and these beautiful names are just a few of those. You will find these names more and more popular as human names too. Kuura means frost, lumi means snow, and pyry is a blizzard.

These names are often used for white or light-colored pets. Pyry and Lumi were also chosen for the two pandas in Finland.

Musti, Noki, Nokinenä, Piki, Pantsu and Domino

What if your pet is a darker color? What would you name your pet as an alternative to Oreo, Raven, Salem, and Shadow?

In Finnish, Musti is often considered a traditional name for a dog. Musta means black, but Musti instantly makes you think of a dog. Noki, on the other hand, means Ash and Piki pitch. Both are great options, especially for a darker-colored pet.

To go a little crazy with these themes, you could call your furry companion Nokinenä, meaning ash nose. She is a witch in Finnish children’s stories. Another fun option could be a nickname version of Pantteri (panther): Pantsu.

If you’re looking for a great name for a tuxedo cat or black and white dog but know a dozen pets called Oreo already, there is a Finnish cookie almost indistinguishable from the American one. It’s a classic called Domino that has been around since the 1950s called Domino. This name will also translate to friends and family because of the black and white domino game tiles.

Viiru, Pilkku, Tiikeri, and Tikru

We can’t leave the color theme before we have covered spots and stripes! A spotted furry companion could be called just that, Pilkku, and a striped one Viiru, which means streak. As an alternative for a tabby, consider Tiikeri (tiger in Finnish) or the fun nickname Tikru.

Herra, tohtori and other titles

Some pawrents feel their pet deserves a title like Dr Whiskers or Mr Goodkitty. Finns also have pets that use a title and not just any short nickname: herra is used for Mr, tohtori for Dr, and some pets are even generals, kenraali.

One famous example is General Snozzie from the Donald Duck comics. In Finnish, he is called Kenraali Nuuh, where nuuh refers to sniffing or the sound made when sniffing audibly.

Nuusku and Niisku

If you were inspired by the name Nuuh from the comics, Nuusku might also be a name to consider. The start Nuu is similar to nuuhkia, which means sniff and Nuusku would perhaps be someone who quite enjoys sniffing around.

Niisku is a character in the Finnish Moomin stories. Although the name has a similar ring to it, someone who niiskuttaa has a little bit runny nose or is trying to stop crying.

Pallero, Pulla and Muru

These names are an adorable way to describe a small pet but don’t exactly leave them sounding like an athletic hunter. Pallero is an affectionate word for a little ball, and Pulla is a sweet bun.

Muru is often used as a pet name for girlfriends and boyfriends too. Originally it means crumb, but couples have adopted it to mean darling.

Luppa and Tassu

Are you a proud owner of a lop-eared rabbit? Luppakorva means lop-eared in Finnish, so Luppa might be just the name you’re after. Tassu, on the other hand (or paw?), means paw.

Vekku, Vekkuli, Jekku, and Juju

Can you already tell your furbaby is a little mischievous? Then maybe Vekku or Vekkuli for something fun and jovial or a rascal would suit them. Jekku is a practical joke, and Juju means something like catch in “what’s the catch” or the key thing to understand about something.

Rontti, Peto, Nalle, Rölli, and Mörkö

Sharing your home with someone who climbs the curtains or is biting everything (hopefully not everyone)? Then maybe you have a Rontti, scoundrel, or Peto, beast in Finnish.

If those sound a bit too harsh and they are still as cute as a button, consider Nalle for bear or teddybear or Mörkö for the Groke from the Moomins or a bugbear of some kind. Rölli is another Finnish troll character from a popular children’s series.

Nappi, Nyytti, and Pötkö

Speaking of buttons, Nappi is a cute name for any small animal, along with Nyytti, which means bundle. Pötkö brings to mind a dog like a dachshund, as the meaning in Finnish would be close to a stick. Who says everyday things don’t make cute pet names?

Nakki, Naksu, and Namu

After covering some material things that would make cute names, we can’t leave out food. Of course, you could pick any food as the name for your pet.

Fruit and berries might be fun names, but at least some pawrents have opted for Nakki (frankfurter), Naksu, which usually means chips, or Namu, which is some kind of a sweet or treat. The last one would be a great alternative to the more common Nemo, which is also popular in Finland.

Lysti, Ihme, and Onni

Is your pet bringing you much joy, and you’d like to declare it to the world? Then maybe these names are for you: Lysti (fun), Ihme (miracle), or Onni (happiness).

Heppu, Poju, Poika, Pimu, and Ukko

For some reason, many Finns show affection to their pet by naming them with words that mean males of different ages.

Heppu could be described as a fellow or guy, Poju and Poika mean boy or son, and Ukko is a little bit older man, also used in words like snowman (lumiukko). All of these have an affectionate ring to them, similar to Pa or Grandpa.

Pimu, on the other hand, is a word for a girl, a little like a bird, doll, or chick.

Pessi, Nova, and Luna

I included these names here because they could be nice names for all kinds of pets. Pessi is originally a male name known in Finland from a story called Pessi and Illusia. Luna and Nova are more feminine names with a similar magical feel.

Popular Finnish dog names for females

Like in English, Finnish dog names are often names and nicknames humans use too. This means some names are more often used for female or male pets. This section covers some of the human names that are currently the most popular for female dogs in Finland.

Here is the all-time top 10:

1. Bella

2. Rita

3. Taru

4. Siru

5. Anu

6. Milla

7. Mira

8. Nelli

9. Emma

10. Donna

In 2022, the most popular registered female names for dogs were Hertta, Luna, Martta, Hilla, Helmi, Nova, Kerttu, and Elsa.

Finnish cat names for females

With cat names, it is a little tricky to tell what the most popular names are. There have been studies, but since pet cats are not yet registered in a common database, their names are known just to their families. This list is a lot less official, and I included some common cat names for female cats that were not featured above, as well as the clearly female names from the top lists I could find.

Finnish cat names for females:

Minni

Viivi

Nelli

Misu

Miuku

Mauku

Mirri

Nala

Mimi

Lilja

Popular Finnish dog names for males

Before we get to the top 10 of human names, there are some names with meanings that are often specifically used for male dogs. They often have to do with the qualities of a guard dog:

Valpas means alert, Haukku refers to barking, and Murre to growling. The names still have a positive ring to them. Other common names with less clear connections to specific words are Moppe and Rekku.

Here are the top 10 male names for dogs:

1. Jeri
2. Riku
3. Roope
4. Vili
5. Saku
6. Retu
7. Jesse
8. Sami
9. Jami
10. Aku

Finnish cat names for males

This list is compiled from unofficial studies rather than a register and contains some other common cat names for males too.

Finnish cat names for males:

Kisu

Vili

Leevi

Pörri

Laku

Nipsu

Milo

Leo

Simba

Felix

Oliver

Max

Eetu

Pet names from Finnish and other popular culture

What to do when you still feel stuck trying to find a name for your new pet? Think about all the cartoon dogs, cats, birds, and bunnies you have ever heard about, of course. Here are some Finnish versions of these well-known characters.

Tiku and Taku – Chip ‘n’ Dale

Hessu and Mikki – Goofy and Mickey Mouse

Pekka Töpöhäntä – “Pekka Bobtail” or Peter No-Tail, a cat from a Swedish children’s movie

Puppe – Spot, the puppy in children’s books by Eric Hill

Väiski Vemmelsääri – Bugs Bunny

Simba and Nala – The young lions in Disney’s Lion King

Kaunotar and Kulkuri, Missi, Sissi, Ninni and Pepi – Lady and the Tramp, their puppies

Tupu, Hupu, and Lupu – Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Donald Duck

Nasu – Piglet from the Winnie-the-Pooh books

Roi and Rex – names of German Shepherd dogs in children’s books

Ressu – Snoopy from Peanuts

Putte – Porky Pig

Pulivari and Pluto – Bolivar and Pluto from Donald Duck

The few celebrity pets in Finland include the dogs of President Sauli Niinistö’s family, Lennu and Osku. President Tarja Halonen also had cats Misku and Rontti, and turtles Miki and Kiki. Earlier presidential pets have had names like Pontus, Leo, Isabella, and Miila.

There are also Instagram famous Finnish pets. At least two of them are called Topi.

Still at a loss for what to call your pet? Check out the articles below for some more Finnish names and nicknames. You can also ask for tips in the comments or share your own favorite Finnish pet names. And, of course, let me know if this blog inspired you to give your pet a Finnish name!

Ready to discover more fascinating Finnish names and words? Here are some great articles to read next:

100+ Unique Finnish names and their meanings

20 Cute Finnish Nicknames for Your Loved One

Kalevala of Finland: Exploring the Fascinating Meaning and Characters of the National Epic

References:

Most popular dog names https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000000590944.html

Dog names https://koirakuvia.net/koiran-nimet/

Names of characters from Donald Duck comics https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo_Aku_Ankka_-sarjakuvan_hahmoista

Presidential pets https://www.iltalehti.fi/perhe/a/2012080715926765