restrictions on choosing a new last name

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albacore
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:20 am

restrictions on choosing a new last name

Post by albacore » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:20 am

Hello,

I'm reading the "Name law" regarding changing last names and I don't quite get this part:
Uudeksi sukunimeksi ei voida hyväksyä sukunimeä, joka on Suomessa merkitty väestötietojärjestelmään, eikä nimeä, jonka yleisesti tiedetään vakiintuneen määrätyn kotimaisen tai vierasmaalaisen suvun nimeksi, ellei tähän ole olemassa erityistä syytä. (21.8.1998/617)
Ok the last names registered in the Finnish population register are out of question, but what about specifically this part:
eikä nimeä, jonka yleisesti tiedetään vakiintuneen määrätyn ... vierasmaalaisen suvun nimeksi,
So any other last name registered anywhere else in the world is not allowed either?

That's harsh, and makes it hard to know what last names are still available.


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restrictions on choosing a new last name

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HannahBanana
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 5:55 pm

Re: restrictions on choosing a new last name

Post by HannahBanana » Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:48 pm

Basically you either need to have ties to your new last name (ie. a last name of a grandparent for example) or you will have to come up with a completely new name. That, or you'll have to have strong arguments on your behalf (for example if you're a perpetrator of a highly publicised crime). A notorious Finnish criminal, Juha Valjakkala, changed his name to Nikita Foughantine, so there's that example. :D

You can't become for example an Ahonen or a Smith just because you want to and even a rejeced application will cost you 110e if I remember correctly.

And re: to your previous (slightly odd) post: if you chage your name by deed poll from, say Sarah Parks to Emily Rose, Emily Rose is your legal name EVERYWHERE, not just in Finland. If you try to use your Sarah Parks ID's after you've legally changed your name, you'll be committing an identity fraud. So there's that. :?

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albacore
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Re: restrictions on choosing a new last name

Post by albacore » Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:31 pm

HannahBanana wrote:
Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:48 pm
Basically you either need to have ties to your new last name (ie. a last name of a grandparent for example) or you will have to come up with a completely new name.
Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

A completely new family name in Finland is easy to come up with, as there's a website that has all the names.

But in the whole world it's tricky. Based on what source should I check the uniqueness? 😁

That was my only ptoblem.

About the other post, that one is resolved.

By the way why all those referrences to crime? 😁
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HannahBanana
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 5:55 pm

Re: restrictions on choosing a new last name

Post by HannahBanana » Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:37 pm

albacore wrote:
Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:31 pm
HannahBanana wrote:
Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:48 pm
Basically you either need to have ties to your new last name (ie. a last name of a grandparent for example) or you will have to come up with a completely new name.
Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

A completely new family name in Finland is easy to come up with, as there's a website that has all the names.

But in the whole world it's tricky. Based on what source should I check the uniqueness? 😁

That was my only ptoblem.

About the other post, that one is resolved.

By the way why all those referrences to crime? 😁
Because people don't often think about these things. I work in a bank, so I see people withdrawing money from their company accounts and depositing them into tjeir own accounts, which can be (taken into consideration the form of the company) be a fraud. Laws are highly complicated and most people don't know them / of them, so it's very easy to accidentally do something untoward.

I think on Väestörekisterikeskus's website there's a search engine where you can search for surnames. It shows how many people with a given name live in Finland, or if there are any. Just the application costs 100 (or 110?) euros, even if it's denied, so it's worth looking the names up and maybe put in some alternatives. The name board is pretty strict though, they wouldn't for example let me change my last name into my family's old surname because they didn't like the spelling... So there's that.

Oh, and Foughantine just came to mind as an example of a person who has changed his name. Which is quite funny that he got "Foughantine" through when regular people can't even use their own family names... I guess he petitioned that having his old name would hinder his life. :roll:

Hämeen Hitain
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:18 am

Re: restrictions on choosing a new last name

Post by Hämeen Hitain » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:31 pm

Mr Valjakkala was once married to Swedish Ms Fouganthine.


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