To find and use specific types of Finnish records, you will need to know some key words in Finnish. This section gives key genealogical terms in English and the Finnish words with the same or similar meanings.

For example, in the first column you will find the English word marriages. In the second column you will find Finnish words with meanings such as marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, unite, legitimate, joined,and other words used in Finnish records to indicate marriage.

English	Finnish
banns	kuulutetut
baptism	kastetut, kaste-, ristimä-
births	syntyneet, synty-
burials	haudatut, hauta-, hauda-
child	lapsi
christenings	(See baptism.)
confirmations	rippilapset, ripille päässeet
deaths	kuolleet, kuoli-
father	isä
husband	mies, aviomies
marriages	vihityt, vihki-, naim-, avio-
month	kuukausi, kuu
mother	äiti
name (given name)	nimi, etunimi, kastenimi, ristimänimi
name (surname)	(suku)nimi
parents	vanhemmat
parishs	eurakunta, kunta
wife	vaimo, aviovaimo
year	vuosi, vuoden, vuonna