Naming a child ?

[Samer2010]

Hi Forum,

Q1) What is the process for naming a child (Newborn) in Finland (Non-EU Nationals)?

Q2) Should the mother always be involved and physically present? Or, Is the father enough?

Q3) Any other things parents should do for their newborn, Of course, apart from applying the residence permit, registration at Maistraatti, and extracting the virkatodistukset ? Please, Let me know if I am missing anything?

Thanks all !

[Rip]

Hi Forum,

Q1) What is the process for naming a child (Newborn) in Finland (Non-EU Nationals)?

Q2) Should the mother always be involved and physically present? Or, Is the father enough?

You send the form to the maistraatti office. I wasn't able to find it quickly online, but at least it must be available at maistraatti (mine were baptized so the priest brought one along) [EDIT: seeing Pursuivant's reply, I must have forgotten it arrived by mail] . There must have been a place for signature of both parents. Idea is that the parents should agree on it, but if that is impossible, the mother has the final word. The information should be sent before the child is two months old. 1-3 first names and selecting the last name (if the parents do not share one).

Q3) Any other things parents should do for their newborn, Of course, apart from applying the residence permit, registration at Maistraatti, and extracting the virkatodistukset ? Please, Let me know if I am missing anything?

Apply for KELA coverage, I guess? (native's don't need to do that). I don't think there is any separate maistraatti registration apart from the form where you state the name(s) and native tongue.

[Pursuivant]

The maistraatti sends a form in the mail for registering the names, you write in the names, sign the form and put it in the return envelope. Usually within a few weeks.

The only case you will need to be present is if the parents are not married, when they want the father "claim paternity" so the child doesn't come a burden of the county.

[NatskuLove]

Hi Forum,

Q1) What is the process for naming a child (Newborn) in Finland (Non-EU Nationals)?

Q2) Should the mother always be involved and physically present? Or, Is the father enough?

Q3) Any other things parents should do for their newborn, Of course, apart from applying the residence permit, registration at Maistraatti, and extracting the virkatodistukset ? Please, Let me know if I am missing anything?

Thanks all !

You just have to fill out a form detailing the name and mother tongue and should be done within 2 months of the birth (though they're not too strict with that in my experience). Both signatures are needed.

[Samer2010]

Thank you so much Pursuivant, NatskuLove, and Rip for the info.

[Liam1]

One related question.
Can you register and set name immediately (so that a passpotrt can be processed) and then have the normal Christening process 6 weeks down the line?
I assume that this is OK and we just don't tell anyone about the namein the interim and tell the church that we already have done the official paperwork.

[Rip]

One related question.
Can you register and set name immediately (so that a passpotrt can be processed) and then have the normal Christening process 6 weeks down the line?
I assume that this is OK and we just don't tell anyone about the namein the interim and tell the church that we already have done the official paperwork.

Officially (form the point of view of the church) Christening is an event where the child is joins the church, not a one he is given a name. You can mention about it to the priest when arranging the time as the paperwork part must be bit different (as the child's name is already in the population register), but otherwise they'd happily baptize a child of any age or an adult.

[Upphew]

they'd happily baptize a child of any age or an adult.

I'd baptize gladly too, iif I got taxation rights that way.

[Flossy1978]

It's just some Finnish tradition the baptism, telling of the name.

There's no rule or anything about it.

I am not Finnish, so I had a name already when my son was born and I just told people. My ex is a Finn. He didn't care if people knew.

Just tell. It's really not a rule not to tell.

I knew one person who had to wait two months for the baptism. So I often wondered what they called the baby for two whole months? IT???

[Pursuivant]

Äh, its just a tradition which originates from the old superstition befoere the baby is baptized the väki/dzinn/fairies can abduct the child and leave a changeling, but you have to know the name to have the power, so thats why its kept from everyone before the shaman/priest casts a stronger spell at the naming ceremony.

Sometimes Finns can be a bit funny about names - its got to do with the magic you need to know the "name" of an object to call it. Hence the many archaic euphemisms for the bear...

[Jukka Aho]

I knew one person who had to wait two months for the baptism. So I often wondered what they called the baby for two whole months? IT???

Two months is the maximum allowed by the law.

Parents will usually pick a “project name” for a baby which does not yet have a firmly decided-upon, public, or official name. It is usually some sort of an improbable combination of cute words — an affectionate nickname which while endearing is not suitable to be registered as an actual name (and was never meant to; it’s only a temporary stopgap.) They might already have come up with something like that while the offspring was still kicking in the womb.