Kven place names are predominantly found in Northern Norway, especially in the counties of Troms () and Finnmark (Finmarkku). The Kvens are recognized as a national minority in Norway, and the Kven language is officially acknowledged as a minority language. Kven is closely related to Meänkieli and the northern dialects of Finnish.

The oldest documented Kven place names in Norway date back to the late 16th century, when a small number of Kvens appeared in tax registers. The Kven population increased in Norway between the 17th and 19th centuries due to migrations from northern parts of Sweden and Finland. By 1875, Kvens made up a quarter of the population in Finnmark and 8% in Troms. In the town of Vadsø (Vesisaari), Kvens accounted for nearly 60% of the population in 1870. Areas with a high concentration of Kven names include Varangerfjord (Varanginvuono), Tana (Taana), Porsanger (Porsanki), Alta (Alattio), Kvænangen (Naavuono), Nordreisa (Raisi), Kåfjord (Kaivuono), Lyngen (Yykeä), and Storfjord (Omasvuono).

Until the mid-19th century, the Norwegian authorities generally held positive attitudes toward linguistic minorities. However, from the 1850s onward, a policy of Norwegianization was implemented. Schools discouraged or banned the use of Kven (Finnish) and Sámi, and Norwegian was enforced as the sole language of instruction and administration. Kven names were systematically removed from official maps for over 120 years, even after Sámi names began to be included again in the 1950s. As a result, the public visibility of Kven names remained limited, with only about a dozen road signs bearing Kven names in Finnmark as of 2008. By that year, Porsanger (Porsanki) was the only municipality in Finnmark to have declared Kven one of its official languages.

A revitalization movement led to the recognition of the Kvens as a national minority in 1998, and of Kven as a minority language separate from Finnish in 2005. The Kven Institute (Kainun institutti) was established in 2005 to promote knowledge about the Kven people and to support the use of the Kven language. Since 2008, the Kven Language Council (Kielitinka) has been responsible for developing a standardized written form of Kven.

The Place Names Act (stadnamnlova) of 1990 protects Kven, Sámi, and Norwegian place names, requiring their use in public contexts when locally relevant. Official references to “Finnish place names” in the law were changed to “Kven place names” in 2006. Since 2015, spelling rules for Kven place names have followed Kven orthographic principles rather than the Finnish ones.

Databases There are two major databases for Kven place names:

Kvensk stedsnavndatabase (The Kven Place Names Database), maintained by the Language Council of Norway (Språkrådet), aims to collect and preserve all known Kven place names. The database contains names gathered from the Sentralt stedsnavnregister, as well as from fieldwork conducted by Finnish name researchers in the 1970s and 1980s, who documented thousands of Kven place names by interviewing Kven-speaking individuals to preserve knowledge that might otherwise have been lost. Newer fieldwork has also contributed to the database, which includes both officially approved and unapproved names. Sentralt stedsnavnregister (SSR, Central Place Names Register), maintained by the Norwegian Mapping Authority (Kartverket), is the official register of all place names in public use in Norway, including names in minority languages. Many of the Kven names in SSR come from the same fieldwork as the Kven database, though neither database is yet complete. Both continue to be updated with newly approved names and newly collected material.

Field collection of names continues with the support of Språkrådet.

List of names The following list contains all Finnish or Kven names that are officially recognized by the Norwegian Mapping Authority. The second lists other Finnish names of municipalities, villages, and hamlets in the Northern Norway (most of these names do not have official status).

Counties Finnmark county = Finmarkun fylkki Troms county = Tromssan fylkki

The Finnish exonym for northern Norway is Ruija. In Kven, Ruiđa refers to Norway.

Other names

Aidejarvi = Aittijärvi Alleknjarg = Allikkaniemi Alta = Alattio Alteidet = Tuikkanen Amtmannes = Ariniemi Anebakelv = Riekki Apaja = Apaja Austerbotn = Sokkuvuono Avjovarri = Aviovaara Badderen = Paattari Bæivasgiedde = Päiväskenttä Bakfjord = Paakivuono Bakkeby = Sokkuvuono Balsfjord Municipality = Paatsivuono Baskabut = Paskapudas Billefjord = Pillavuono Bilto = Piltto Bognelvdalen = Paunu Bonokas = Punakas Brashamn = Praashamina Brennelv = Lottijoki Bugøynes = Pykeija Burfjord = Puruvuono Båteng = Venekenttä Bøkfjorden = Utsavuono Børselv = Pyssyjoki Børselvnes = Kiksiniemi Djupvik = Siennalahti Ekkerøy = Ekreija Elsnes = Juovankka Elvebakken = Joensuu Elvevollen = Staaluvankka Furuflaten = Yykeänvankka Gandvik = Juurivuono Grense Jakobselv = Vuoremijoki Hallen = Kauppi Hamnnes = Karkko Havøya = Havöija Helligskogen = Pyhäouta Hestnes = Hesteniemi Hjelmsøya = Jälmesöija Holmfjord = Suoluvuono Hysingjorden = Matinkenttä Høvik = Heviika Indre Kvenby = Sisäpää Ingøya = Inga Jarfjorden = Rautavuono Karasjok Municipality = Kaarasjoki Kariel = Karieli Karleborn = Isovuono Karnes = Kariniemi Kautokeino Municipality = Koutokeino Kiberg = Kiiperi Kiby = Kyypi Kirkenes = Kirkkoniemi Kistrand = Ryssämarkka Kitdalen = Soiketanouta Kjækan = Kätkänen Kjæsklubben = Keisi Kjelderen = Kellari Kjelmøya = Taalmain saari Kjelvik = Kelviika Kjosen = Muotkalahti Kjø = Kiviö Kolvik = Sarvesvuono Komagvær = Kummaväri Kornes = Ristiniemi Korsfjorden = Ristivuono Kraknes = Nurmi Krampenes = Kramppinen Kvænangen Municipality = Naavuono Kvænangsbotnen = Naavuononpohja Kvænvik = Kreeta Kvalnes = Valasniemi Kvalvik = Kolsivuopio Kvesmenes = Vieksikenttä Kåfjord = Kaivuono Laggo = Lankovuono Lakselv = Lemmijoki Laksnes = Lohiniemi Langbunes = Lamppuniemi Langfjord = Lankovuono Lappoluobbal = Lappjärvi Laukvik = Lökviika Leirbugt = Keväsija Leirpollen = Jouluvuono Leirpollen = Kenttä Levajok = Levajoki Loppa Municipality = Lappea Lyngen Municipality = Yykeä Lyngseidet = Muotka Magerøya = Makaravjo Magerøya = Makreija Manndalen = Olmavankka Masjok = Maskijoki Maursund = Maarnuora Maze = Maasi Mellenfjord = Uksiviiki Mortensnes = Morttinen Munkfjorden = Uutuanvuono Måsøy Municipality = Moseija Neiden = Näätämö Nesseby Municipality = Uuniemi Nordkjosen = Ryssäpahta Nordlenangen = Itarivuono Nordmannvik = Talvisvankka Nordnes = Norssi/Notkoniemi Nordreisa Municipality = Raisi Norskholmen = Pekansaari Nyborg = Mäskivuono Nyhamn = Nyyhamina Olderdalen = Junttaniemi Olderfjorden = Leppivuono Olderskogen = Leppiouta Opnan = Oppana Oteren = Saukkonen Pollen = Voivuono Polmak = Pulmanki Porsangen = Porsanginvuono Porsanger Municipality = Porsanki Porselven = Porsijoki Prestelv = Sisäjoki Rafsbotn = Rässivuono Rasteby = Suoloniemi Reinøy = Renöija Reinøya = Vassa Reipas = Reipas Risfjorden = Riisvuono Rottenvik = Kuotsavuopio Russeluft = Ruoslahti Rustefjelbma = Ruostevielma Røyelelva = Roijalus Salttjern = Salttijärvi Sappen = Sappi Seida = Lottojoki Signaldalen = Singalanouta Sirma = Sirma Sjuosjavri = Suosjärvi Skallelv = Kallijoki Skallenes = Kalliniemi Skibotn = Markkina/Yykeänperä Skibotndalen = Yykeänvankka Skipagurra = Kiippakura Skjervøy Municipality = Kierua Skogerøya = Saalamo Skogfoss = Hakoköngäs Skullnes = Kullaselva Smalfjorden = Rautuvuono Smørfjord = Smirvuono Snemyren = Lumijänkkä Sopnes = Suppiniemi Stjernøya = Siernöijä Storfjord Municipality = Omasvuono Storslett = Hansinkenttä Storvik = Lahti Storviknes = Kalkkiniemi Suohpajavri = Suoppajärvi Svartfoss = Mustaniva Svartnes = Mustaniemi Sørkjosen = Rässikäinen Talvik = Talmulahti Tamsøya = Taumusaari/Tamsöijä Tana Municipality = Taana (Finnish: Teno) Tana bru = Tenon kylä Tappeluft = Tappolahti Tomaselv = Turvejoki Transfarelva = Kaidusjoki Tromsø = Tromssa Tromsøysundet = Tromssannuora Tverrelva = Tuorisjoki Tørfossnes = Kuivakoski Ullsfjorden = Moskivuono Vadsø = Vesisaari Vækker = Väkkärä Vainesbund = Vierivuono Vardø = Vuoreija Veibakken = Paali Vesterbotn = Lemmivuono Vestre Jakobselv = Annijoki Vinnelys = Varppi Ytre Kvenby = Ulkojoki Ytre Leirpollen = Piesankoppa Øksfjord = Aksuvuono

See also Finnish exonyms List of European exonyms

References