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Surname · Finnish origin

Makela

Finnish toponymic

Meaning

The surname Makela means Hill place.

Origin

Finnish

Type

toponymic

Variants

The origin of the surname Makela

Mäkelä joins mäki, “hill,” with the place-ending -lä.

What kind of surname is Makela?

Makela is a toponymic surname, originally describing where the bearer lived or came from. It belongs to the Finnish naming tradition — you can read how Finnish surnames were formed on our Finnish last names page.

Variants & spellings of Makela

You may also see this surname written as:

Mäkelä

Other Finnish surnames

Of the wave

Son of Heikki (Henry)

Jarvinen

Of the lake

Korhonen

From korho, plus -nen

Of the rapids

Wave

Of the grove

Of the hill

Of the headland

Other toponymic surnames

Family names formed the same way, from different cultures.

Of the hill

From Aquino

Of the wood

Oak tree

Frequently asked questions

What does the surname Makela mean?

The surname Makela means Hill place. Mäkelä joins mäki, “hill,” with the place-ending -lä.

Where does the surname Makela come from?

Makela is a surname of Finnish origin.

What kind of surname is Makela?

Makela is a toponymic surname, originally describing where the bearer lived or came from.

What are other spellings of Makela?

Variant spellings of Makela include Mäkelä.

What are other Finnish surnames?

Other Finnish surnames include Aaltonen, Hamalainen, Heikkinen, Jarvinen, Korhonen, Koskinen.

More Finnish last names