Surname Julkunen - Meaning and Origin
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Julkunen: What does the surname Julkunen mean?
Julkunen is a Finnish surname with origins in eastern Finland, near the Russian border. The surname comes from an old Finnish word for Christmas or Yule, which is “joulu”. Thus, “Julkunen” can be translated to mean “Christmas” or “Yule”.
The oldest recorded form of the surname dates back to the records of Joensuu, a town located in the eastern region of Finland. The first record of the name written in an official document was in 1554 when a certain Ryysa Jolkanen was mentioned. Later records from the parish registers of Joensuu and Kuopio also references Erik Jolkanen in 1677 and Anna Juhanen in 1739.
The Julkunen surname is likely derived from either the Finnish word “joulu” or the Swedish word “Jul”, which has the same meaning. However, over time, the surname has become more localized to eastern Finland. Today, there are still people with the surname Julkunen living in Finland, although it is considered a less common surname. Those sharing the surname are likely distant relatives who share a common ancestor.
Throughout its centuries of recorded history, the Julkunen surname has been spread across Finland, providing generations of Sugulkunen family members with their namesake. Although not a hugely common surname, its rich cultural and historical connotations are sure to pass from family member to family member for centuries to come.
Order DNA origin analysisJulkunen: Where does the name Julkunen come from?
Today, the last name Jukkunen is quite common in Finland. According to Ancestry.com's population data analysis, the last name is the 45th-most-common family name in the country, with a population of about 12,000 people.
The name can likely be traced back to the time when surnames began to be adopted in Finland in the 17th century. It is believed be derived from the word "jukka" – meaning "plough" – combined with the ending "nen". This suggests the surname began as a hereditary occupational name, and likely originally referred to a family of Finnish ploughmen.
Jukkunen can be found all over Finland, with the highest concentrations in the provinces of Central Finland, Northern Ostrobothnia, Pirkanmaa, Ostrobothnia, and Central Ostrobothnia. Twenty-two percent of people with the last name Jukkunen live in the city of Tampere located in the Pirkanmaa province.
The last name can also be found in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden, although it is comparatively much less common there. In Norway, the last name was the 943rd-most-common family name as of 2019, with an estimated population of just over 1,000 people.
Outside of Scandinavia, the last name has also been stumbled across in other European countries like Germany and England, as well as in countries such as Canada and the United States in North America.
Variations of the surname Julkunen
Julkunen is a diagnostic Finnish surname and can be spelled in many different ways in different countries and languages. It is a patronymic surname meaning "son of July" or "son of Julius" and is derived from a given name that is derived from the Latin Iulius, which is a cognate of the English name Julian. Variations of the surname in Finland include Jalkanen, Jelkune, and Jalkunen. In Sweden, the corresponding surnames are expressed as Jelkman and Jelkman.
In the United States and other English-speaking countries, numerous variants of the surname include Yolkunen, Jolkinen, Jalkinen, Youlkenen, Jolkoski, Jollkinen, Youlkinen, Juckunen, Yollkinen, Youlkonen, Yaulkonen, Yahlukonen, Julkenen, Yalikainen, Yalkonen, Yulfkin, Youlkainen, Yolikainen, Yolkinen, and Yollkainen.
In Argentina, variants of the surname are spelled Jolkunand, Yaukonen, Jalkonen, Youlkenand, Yalkonen, Yuokonen, Yulkenand, and Yahlukonand. In Mexico, the variants are spelled Jopalonen, Joplaonen, Jolakinen, Yopkonen, and Yolkanand.
In Norway, the surname is spelled Iulken or Iolkånen, while in Denmark and Germany it is spelled Jalk, Julke, Julkeen, Youlken, Yolkånen, or Yalikainen.
In Russia the variants include Iolkicken, Yolkicken, Youlkin, Yolken, Yolkin, and Yolkingen and, finally, in Finland and Sweden, the surname is spelled as Yolcin or Yolksin.
Famous people with the name Julkunen
- Heikki Jalkanen, a speedway racer from Finland
- Tero Jalkanen, a former Finnish footballer
- Mikko Julkunen, a Finnish musician and record producer
- Arvo Jalkanen, a former Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament
- Marita Jalkanen, a former Finnish figure skater
- Erkki Jalkanen, a former Finnish javelin thrower
- Aarno Jalkanen, a former Finnish slalom canoer
- Peter Julkunen, a Finnish actor
- Antero Jalkanen, a Finnish javelin thrower
- Maarit Jalkanen, a Finnish javelin thrower
- Pekka Jalkanen, a Finnish chess player
- Olli Jalkanen, a Finnish former cross country skier
- Markku Jalkanen, a former Finnish hurdler
- Matti Jalkanen, a former Finnish figure skater
- Anne Jalkanen, a Finnish artist and sculptor
- Seppo Jalkanen, a former Finnish cyclist
- Kati Jalkanen, a former Finnish alpine skier
- Outi Jalkanen, a Finnish former cross country skier
- Juha Jalkanen, a Finnish former handball player
- Ville Jalkanen, a Finnish former handball player