Prime Minister Mari Johanna Kiviniemi

[Denise Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Denise]

Hi,
I am so excited...my "sister" Merja in Finland has just told me that my 4th cousin on my mother's side has been elected Prime Minister of Finland! Mari Johanna Kiviniemi My congratulations go out to her! http://abcnews.go.com/meta/search/im...9-421faa12021d
http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...-minister.html

Denise

P.S. Odd, the previous Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen may be related to my father's side. Just realizing that...I've seen my father's ancestors named Vanhainen and Vanhanen. Does anyone happen to have Matti Vanhanen's ancestry? Just wonder if there is a connection there too. I already have Mari Kiviniemi's to her 5th great grandparents.

[wanhamas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close wanhamas]

Matti Vanhanen

Matti Vanhanen's father, Tatu Vanhanen was born April 17 1929 in Vuoksenranta, Finland, now Ozyorskoye, Russia

The Vanhanen name appears in the Viipuri area of Finland now Russia. I have tried and found no relationship.

Vanhainen is the name of a farm in Kauliranta, Ylitornio. Owners have taken the farm name as a family name. The inherited family name my cousin believes for the current Wanhainen family should be Kohkoinen from the birkarl, Kohkoi. As we have emailed previously, the origins of the ownership of this farm go back to the Oravainen Birkarl.

[eeva.hakkinen Registered Find all posts View Profile Close eeva.hakkinen]

Name Vanhanen is rather common in Finland. I have Vanhanens in my ancestry as does my husband (both in Savo). I think nowadays it is written as Vanhanen, not Vanhainen, the old spelling of names - or of anything - was very flexible.
Maybe if you told us what you know of your Vanhanen roots, we could figure out if it connects with someone else's ancestry.

[wanhamas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close wanhamas]

Vanhainen

A portion of this genealogy is documented at http://www.orajarvi.net/sukututkimus...oika/index.htm

Antti Keksi is from this genealogy as is Timo Mukka. The lineage is based on the work of Dr. Erik Wahlberg. This particular family uses the old spelling not Vanhanen.

[Denise Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Denise]

Vanhainen

Hi, This is what I have for Vanhainen's in my direct ancestry... I do have other lines that are branches off my father's direct line with the Vanhainen name. Thank-you for the interest. In some records I have found the name to be spelled Vanhanen/Wanhanen that are in my tree but may have been spelled in error by others. Was just curious if Matti Vanhanen may be connected somehow.

Best Regards,
Denise