Surname Rissanen - Meaning and Origin
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Rissanen: What does the surname Rissanen mean?
The last name Rissanen is of Finnish origin. It is derived from the word "riisata", which means "to strip off bark from a tree". Early variations of the name originated from the area now known as Finland, and were used to identify people from this region.
The name primarily originated as an occupational name for those involved in the lumber or forestry industry. Those belonging to this profession would peel the bark off trees to prepare them for use in furniture making or construction. The name was quite common in the area and is still used by many families in Finland today.
The term itself has a long history in the area, with evidence of its usage stretching back to the Middle Ages. However, it wasn't until recent decades that it began to spread to other parts of the world.
Today, people of this name can be found in various countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. As diverse as the countries they reside in, their commonality lies in the meaning of their last name — people of the Rissanen name have a connection to the land as their heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisRissanen: Where does the name Rissanen come from?
The last name Rissanen is most commonly found in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The name may also appear in other parts of Northern and Central Europe such as Norway, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany.
The common use of this last name in Finland and Sweden is partly due to the increasing population and migration of Finns to Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many of those who emigrated chose to take the name Rissanen, which is an old Finnish word for grower.
In Estonia, the Rissanen surname is relatively rare, but appears to be connected to a village called Rissanen located in the eastern part of the country. It is not known for certain if the name of this village inspired the surname or if the name is older.
In the United States, the name Rissanen does appear from time to time, with families having mainly emigrated from Northern and Central Europe starting in the mid-1800s. Today, there are small concentrations in several states with the majority of those sharing this last name living in Michigan, New York, and California.
Overall, the surname Rissanen appears to have originated from Finland spread to other countries during the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily via Finnish and Swedish emigration. It is relatively rare in the United States, with the states of Michigan, New York, and California having the most occurrences.
Variations of the surname Rissanen
Rissanen is a Finnish surname. It can be spelled various ways, including Rissanen, Rissanaine, Rissanainen, Rissanainen, Rissanenen, Rissaninen, and Risssanen. The variants of the same origin can also include the following, likely due to differences in regional dialects in Finland: Rissanne, Rissannei, Rissannae, Risannainen, Rissanainne, Rissananne, and Rissanannei.
The etymology of the surname is thought to come from two possible sources. One suggests that the name comes from the Finnish word for alder tree, riso or rieso, combined with the suffix -nen. The second suggests that Rissanen may have derived from the Finnish word rista meaning “to cross”, combined with the suffix -nen.
Rissanen can be found across Northern Europe and other parts of the world. In many of the parts of Europe, this name has been adapted in various ways. In Norway, the variant name of Risanen is seen and in Sweden, the variant of Rissanen is seen. In the United States and Canada, people of the surname’s origin often use different adaptations of the name, such as Risan, Ressions, and Risen.
This surname is often found as a part of a compound surname. Reyssoner, parts of Reyssaner, and Risssanen are all combinations of the two surnames Reysson and Rissanen that are found in Nordic countries. The Rissans Compound Surname is reported to have become popular in the mid 19th century.
In Finland it is the 53rd most common surname. A notable person of this surname is the Finnish pesapallo player Pertti Rissanen (1953- ).
Famous people with the name Rissanen
- Mika Rissanen: Musician and Producer; performed during the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Tiina Rissanen: Finnish cross-country skier; competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics
- Artturi Rissanen: Finnish ice hockey player; played for the Detroit Red Wings organization
- Taneli Rissanen: Finnish professional footballer who plays in France's Ligue 2
- Meri Rissanen:American-Finnish snowboarder; competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics
- Tuomas Rissanen: Finnish rally driver
- Tuomo Rissanen: Finnish alpine skier; competed for Finland at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
- Eero Rissanen: Finnish composer and theorist; co-wrote the books "Sensory Actions" and "Creativity and Systems Thinking"
- Lasse Rissanen: Professional cyclist; competed in the 2016 and 2017 UCI World Cycling Tour
- Sirpa Rissanen: Finnish business executive; President and CEO of Finnair since 2017