Kaleva

Probably from Proto-Finnic *kalëga (compare Estonian kalev, Karelian kaleva), and more distantly related to the first component in Northern Sami gállagasdolat. Alternatively, according to Heikkilä (2012), a North Germanic borrowing (from Late Proto-Norse *ᚺᛚᛖᚹᚨᛉ (*χᵃléwaz)), akin to Old Norse Hlér.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑleʋɑ/,
• Rhymes: -ɑleʋɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): Ka‧le‧va

Kaleva

1. An obscure giant in Finnish mythology.
   • 1849 Kalevala (Translation 1988 by Eino Friberg) 6:213-214:

     Joko ammuit Väinämöisen, / Kaotit Kalevan poian?

     Have you now shot Väinämöinen, / Killed the son of Kaleva?

2. a male given name taken into use after the publication of the Finnish national epic Kalevala; more popular in the form Kalevi
   • 1937, Anni Swan, Ritvan suojatit, WSOY, published 1956, page 40:

     ―Minusta nimeni on hyvä sellaisenaan, vakuutti Ritva täyttäessään kupit kuohuvalla suklaalla. Isäni on vakuutusasiamies. En suinkaan tahtoisi sellaista nimeä kuin Kaleva tai Salama tai Suomi.

     ―I think my name is good as is, Ritva assured as she filled the cups with hot chocolate. My father is an insurance agent. I certainly wouldn't want a name like Kaleva or Salama or Suomi.

   • 1981, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, Vuosisatani 1, SKS, published 1982, →ISBN, page 56:

     Etunimistäni oli Urhossa minusta vähän itsekehua ja pöyhkeilyä enkä minä siitä ole koskaan pitänyt. Mutta Kaleva on minusta aina ollut hyvin kaunis nimi.

     Out of my first names, I think Urho was always a bit boastful and flaunty, and I never particularly liked it. Kaleva on the other hand I thought was always a beautiful name.

3. Finland's fifth-largest morning newspaper, published in Oulu.
4. a Finnish surname

• The given name Kaleva belongs to 47 male individuals (and as a middle name to 2,156 more, making it overwhelmingly more common as a middle name), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.
• Kaleva is the 1601^st (tied with 3 other surnames) most common surname in Finland, belonging to 536 individuals, according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

• valkea, velkaa