Waino
Of Finnish origin, meaning "shining one" or "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Waino. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Waino today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Waino births was 1915 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Waino. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Waino is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wainos were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Waino. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1915
28 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1954 SSA rank
#3,810
Tracked since 1902
Popularity
Waino: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Waino from the 1900s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 170 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Waino by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Waino during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wainos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Waino, while Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Waino
The name Waino has its origins in the Finnish language, where it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Finnish word "vainola," which means "field of the dead" or "the realm of the deceased." The name was likely given to children as a means of honoring ancestors or invoking protection from the spirits of the departed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waino can be found in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, which was compiled in the 19th century from traditional folk poetry and myths. In the Kalevala, Waino is mentioned as a character who travels to the underworld to seek wisdom and knowledge from the spirits of the dead.
Throughout Finnish history, the name Waino has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the most prominent was Waino Aaltonen (1894-1966), a Finnish artist and sculptor who was known for his modernist works and his contributions to the Finnish Golden Age of sculpture.
Another historical figure with the name Waino was Waino Tuominen (1901-1983), a Finnish athlete who competed in the discus throw and shot put events at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the discus throw in 1928.
In the realm of literature, Waino Siikanen (1891-1958) was a Finnish author and poet who wrote extensively about rural life and the struggles of the working class in his native country.
The name Waino also has ties to the Finnish military. Waino Valtonen (1917-1999) was a Finnish army officer who served during World War II and later became a prominent military historian, writing numerous books on the history of the Finnish armed forces.
Finally, Waino Aaltonen (1922-2018) was a Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the 4x10 km relay event in 1956.
While the name Waino has its roots in Finnish culture and mythology, it has gained recognition beyond its place of origin, serving as a testament to the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Finnish people.
People
Waino + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Waino as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Waino: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Waino?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Waino going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Waino a common name?
We classify Waino as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 347 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Waino most popular?
The single biggest year for Waino was 1915, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Waino is about 91 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Waino in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Waino a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Waino in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Waino still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Waino in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Waino can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Waino as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.