Väinö

Meaning: uncertain

Origin: Finnish

Väinö comes from Väinämöinen, the central shaman-hero of the Finnish national epic Kalevala. The deeper etymology behind Väinämöinen himself is debated — proposals connect it to väylä, 'waterway,' fitting his role as a figure of slow, deep water — but the name's modern use owes everything to the epic's enormous influence on Finnish national identity.