Saari

See also: saari and sääri

Finnish

Etymology

From saari (“island”). The surname (attested since the Middle Ages) was originally transferred from place names, but also commonly adopted by many families during the Fennicization of surnames at the turn of the 20th century. The South Karelian place was named after a village Saarenkylä (literally “island-village”) which, despite its name, is not located on an island, only between two lakes. It is possible that the area was mistaken for an island due to the isthmus connecting to the surrounding land initially being so small. Alternatively, it may have been derived via a dialectal saares, referring to a dry patch of forested land surrounded by wetlands.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑːri/, [ˈs̠ɑ̝ːri]
• Rhymes: -ɑːri
• Syllabification^(key): Saa‧ri
• Hyphenation^(key): Saa‧ri

Proper noun

Saari

1. a Finnish surname from landscape
2. a former municipality of South Karelia, Finland, merged with Parikkala alongside Uukuniemi in 2005.
3. Any of a number of small places in Finland.

Declension

• (former municipality): The external locative cases (adessive, allative and ablative) are used with this place name when referring to a location; for example, "in Saari" is Saarella.

Inflection of Saari (Kotus type 26/pieni, no gradation)
nominative		Saari	Saaret
genitive		Saaren	Saarten Saarien
partitive		Saarta	Saaria
illative		Saareen	Saariin
		singular	plural
nominative		Saari	Saaret
accusative	nom.	Saari	Saaret
	gen.	Saaren
genitive		Saaren	Saarten Saarien
partitive		Saarta	Saaria
inessive		Saaressa	Saarissa
elative		Saaresta	Saarista
illative		Saareen	Saariin
adessive		Saarella	Saarilla
ablative		Saarelta	Saarilta
allative		Saarelle	Saarille
essive		Saarena	Saarina
translative		Saareksi	Saariksi
abessive		Saaretta	Saaritta
instructive		—	Saarin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Saari (Kotus type 26/pieni, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Saareni Saareni accusative nom. Saareni Saareni gen. Saareni genitive Saareni Saarteni Saarieni partitive Saartani Saariani inessive Saaressani Saarissani elative Saarestani Saaristani illative Saareeni Saariini adessive Saarellani Saarillani ablative Saareltani Saariltani allative Saarelleni Saarilleni essive Saarenani Saarinani translative Saarekseni Saarikseni abessive Saarettani Saarittani instructive — — comitative — Saarineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Saaresi Saaresi accusative nom. Saaresi Saaresi gen. Saaresi genitive Saaresi Saartesi Saariesi partitive Saartasi Saariasi inessive Saaressasi Saarissasi elative Saarestasi Saaristasi illative Saareesi Saariisi adessive Saarellasi Saarillasi ablative Saareltasi Saariltasi allative Saarellesi Saarillesi essive Saarenasi Saarinasi translative Saareksesi Saariksesi abessive Saarettasi Saarittasi instructive — — comitative — Saarinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Saaremme Saaremme accusative nom. Saaremme Saaremme gen. Saaremme genitive Saaremme Saartemme Saariemme partitive Saartamme Saariamme inessive Saaressamme Saarissamme elative Saarestamme Saaristamme illative Saareemme Saariimme adessive Saarellamme Saarillamme ablative Saareltamme Saariltamme allative Saarellemme Saarillemme essive Saarenamme Saarinamme translative Saareksemme Saariksemme abessive Saarettamme Saarittamme instructive — — comitative — Saarinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Saarenne Saarenne accusative nom. Saarenne Saarenne gen. Saarenne genitive Saarenne Saartenne Saarienne partitive Saartanne Saarianne inessive Saaressanne Saarissanne elative Saarestanne Saaristanne illative Saareenne Saariinne adessive Saarellanne Saarillanne ablative Saareltanne Saariltanne allative Saarellenne Saarillenne essive Saarenanne Saarinanne translative Saareksenne Saariksenne abessive Saarettanne Saarittanne instructive — — comitative — Saarinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Saarensa Saarensa accusative nom. Saarensa Saarensa gen. Saarensa genitive Saarensa Saartensa Saariensa partitive Saartaan Saartansa Saariaan Saariansa inessive Saaressaan Saaressansa Saarissaan Saarissansa elative Saarestaan Saarestansa Saaristaan Saaristansa illative Saareensa Saariinsa adessive Saarellaan Saarellansa Saarillaan Saarillansa ablative Saareltaan Saareltansa Saariltaan Saariltansa allative Saarelleen Saarellensa Saarilleen Saarillensa essive Saarenaan Saarenansa Saarinaan Saarinansa translative Saarekseen Saareksensa Saarikseen Saariksensa abessive Saarettaan Saarettansa Saarittaan Saarittansa instructive — — comitative — Saarineen Saarinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• Saarikalle

Related terms

• Saarela
• Saarelainen
• Saarenpää
• Saarikoski
• Saarinen
• Saario

Statistics

• Saari is the 59^th most common surname in Finland, belonging to 7,785 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Further reading

Saari (täsmennyssivu) on the Finnish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fi

Anagrams

• Raisa, rasia, saira

Ingrian

Etymology

From saari (“island”).

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈsɑːri/, [ˈs̠ɑːrʲ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈsɑːri/, [ˈʃɑːri]
• Rhymes: -ɑːrʲ, -ɑːri
• Hyphenation: Saa‧ri
• Homophone: saari

Proper noun

Saari

1. synonym of Krontsi (“Kronstadt”)
2. synonym of Seitsekaarto (“Seskar”)

Declension

Declension of Saari (type 5/keeli, no gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	Saari	—
genitive	Saaren	—
partitive	Saarta, Saart	—
illative	Saaree	—
inessive	Saarees	—
elative	Saarest	—
allative	Saarelle	—
adessive	Saareel	—
ablative	Saarelt	—
translative	Saareks	—
essive	Saarenna, Saareen	—
exessive1)	Saarent	—
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Derived terms

• saarenhattu
• Saarenmeri
• saarenoma

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 512