Surname Kaajava - Meaning and Origin
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Kaajava: What does the surname Kaajava mean?
The last name Kaajava is believed to be of Finnish origin, derived from the word "kaaja" which means "crooked." As such, the literal meaning of the surname is "crooked river," likely referring to a specific body of water of that description in the area of one's ancestors. This may have been a geographical location that their family claimed as their homeland or it could refer to the family's origination in a place where rivers were crooked.
The name may also roughly translate to "crooked one," likely referring to a physical characteristic of the original bearer. This may have been an aptonym (a name closely associated with a trait or profession of the person bearing it) because the individual may have been noted for a slightly deformed physical attribute.
The name Kaajava is quite rare, having been embraced in only a handful of countries around the world. Some individuals with this name have emigrated to the United States and Europe, but the majority of bearers are likely still found in their home country of Finland. In any case, the name is likely an interesting reflection of one's family's ancestry and is an intriguing and unique choice of surname.
Order DNA origin analysisKaajava: Where does the name Kaajava come from?
The last name Kaajava is most commonly found in Finland, but is also occasionally found elsewhere in areas with Finnish diaspora, such as in Northern Europe, North America, and Australia.
The name Kaajava first appears in 17th century Finland, suggesting it is of Finnish and possibly related to Swedish origin. It is a patronymic, a type of surname derived from the father's given name.
The Kaajava name is most commonly found in original form in Finland today. Researching population inheritance, frequency, and distribution of the last name Kaajava in Finland in 2000-2015 by the Suomen Yritysrekisterikeskus (Finnish Business Administrations Agency) showed that it was the 692nd most frequent surname during that period.
In some of the areas where Kaajava is found, the Swedish spelling Kaajavä may be used instead of the Finnish spelling.
Although the origin is Finnish, the name is quite uncommon outside of Finland. Smaller populations of this name can be found in the US, Australia, and other countries with ethnic Finns. For example, 26 Americans had the last name Kaajava in the 2000 US Census. Subsequently, in the 2010 US Census they reported 40 individuals with the surname Kaajava.
Given its relative rarity and Finnish origin, it is likely that individuals with this surname around the world are connected in some form or another.
Variations of the surname Kaajava
Kaajava is a surname derived from the Swedish language, and it is thought to be typically Finnish in origin. It is also spelled in various ways, such as Kaajawah, Kaajavah, and Kaajavva.
The variations of the Kaajava surname can be divided into two separate family groups, each with its own version of the name. The original Swedish Kaajava family is thought to descend from an early Swedish settler with the Kaajava surname. This family's surnames often have a slightly different spellings and suffixes, such as Kajavah, Kajavia, Kajavva, Kajawah, and Kajavah.
The second family group with the Kaajava surname is thought to have originated in Finland and is also quite common. The Finnish version of the Kaajava surname is usually spelled Kaajavaa. However, it has been found in various spellings such as Kaajawa, Kaajavaa, Kaajavah, Kaajavoo, Kaajavu, Kaajavila, and Kaajataa.
Regardless of the variations to the spelling of Kaajava, the root of the surname is believed to mean "the one from the swampland". As Kaajava is a Swedish-Finnish surname, it is not found in other countries or regions outside of the Baltic Sea region.
Famous people with the name Kaajava
- Maria Kaajava: Finnish Olympic snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
- Nico Kaajava: Finnish ice hockey player who played for SaiPa of the SM-liiga.
- Sampo Kaajava: Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the SM-Liiga league.
- Niko Kaajava: Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman.
- Jussi Kaajava: Finnish former professional ice hockey winger.
- Eetu Kaajava: Finnish former professional ice hockey player, who played 80 games in the SM-liiga.
- Mikko Kaajava: Finnish former ice hockey coach, who coached in the Finnish Liiga for many years.
- Mikael Kaajava: Finnish professional footballer who currently plays for KuPS in the Finnish Veikkausliiga.
- Sini Kaajava: Finnish professional figure skater who competed for Finland in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
- Markku Kaajava: Finnish retired professional ice hockey player who played 103 games in the SM-Liiga.