Aino is a figure in the Finnish

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 national epic

National epic

A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or autonomy...

 Kalevala

Kalevala

The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...

. It relates that she was the beautiful sister of Joukahainen

Joukahainen

Joukahainen is a character in the Kalevala, the Finnish epic poem of fifty parts. He is the rival of the main character, Väinämöinen. After losing a singing contest, he pledges his sister Aino to Väinämöinen, but she drowns herself rather than marry him...

. Her brother, having lost a singing contest to the storied Väinämöinen

Väinämöinen

Väinämöinen is the central character in the Finnish folklore and the main character in the national epic Kalevala. His name comes from the Finnish word väinämö, meaning minstrel. Originally a Finnish god, he was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, magical...

, promised Aino's "hands and feet" in marriage if Väinämöinen would save him from drowning in the swamp into which Joukahainen had been thrown. Aino's mother was pleased at the idea of marrying her daughter to such a famous and well born person, but Aino did not want to marry such an old man. Rather than submit to this fate, Aino drowned herself (or ended up as a nix

Nix

The Neck/Nixie are shapeshifting water spirits who usually appear in human form. The spirit has appeared in the myths and legends of all Germanic peoples in Europe....

). However, she returned to taunt the grieving Väinämöinen as a salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

.

The name Aino, meaning "only", was invented by Elias Lönnrot

Elias Lönnrot

Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for compiling the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled from national folklore.-Education and early life:...

 who composed the Kalevala. In the original poems she was mentioned as the "only daughter" (ainoa tytär).

National romanticism

During the national romantic

Romantic nationalism

Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...

 period at the end of the 19th century the mythological name Aino

Aino (given name)

The name Aino, meaning "only" in Finnish, was invented by Elias Lönnrot who composed the Kalevala. In the epic poem she is a beautiful girl who drowns herself rather than marry the elderly Väinämöinen...

 was adopted as a Christian name by Fennoman

Fennoman

The Fennomans were the most important political movement in the 19th century Grand Principality of Finland. They succeeded the fennophile interests of the 18th and early 19th century.-History:...

 activists. Among the first to be named so were Aino Järnefelt (Aino Sibelius

Aino Sibelius

Aino Sibelius was the wife of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. They lived most of their 65 years of married life at their home Ainola near Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää, Finland...

), born 1871 and Aino Krohn (the later Aino Kallas

Aino Kallas

Aino Krohn Kallas was a prominent Finnish - Estonian author. Her novellas are considered to be among the finest pieces of Finnish literature. Kallas is also known for her love affair with the legendary poet Eino Leino....

), born 1878.

According to the Finnish Population Register Centre, over 60,000 women have been given the name. It was especially popular in the early 20th century, and the most common first name for women in the 1920s. ^{http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/vrk/home.nsf/pages/index_eng} It has returned to favor in the 21st century; it was the most popular name for girls in Finland in 2006 and 2007.^{http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Aino+and+Eetu+top+list+of+most+popular+childrens+names+/1135231071996}