Pekka

See also: pekka

Finnish

Etymology

Medieval vernacular form of the Vulgate Latin Petrus (“Peter”). In eastern Finland partly from the Russian pet form Петька (Petʹka), but also variant of the older Pekko.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpekːɑ/, [ˈpe̞kːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ekːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Pek‧ka

Proper noun

Pekka

1. a male given name
   • 1973, Juhani Peltonen, Valaan merkkejä, WSOY, →ISBN, page 15:

     Jos saa esimerkiksi pojan ja aikoo antaa sille aivan tavallisen reilun nimen kuten Pekka tai Kalle tai Erkki, niin muistaa heti jonkun Pekan joka jo kansakoulussa oli päätä pitempi muita, ampui ritsalla lähimmäisiä, heitteli kissoja kaivoihin ja omisti valtavat syyläiset nyrkit, joista sai niin turpiin, että mustelmat on helliä vieläkin. Entäs Kalle, joka ( - - - ). Ei, Pekka, Kalle tai Erkki eivät voi tulla edes ehdokkaiksi, kun nimeä ruvetaan valitsemaan.

     If you get a son and intend to give him a normal proper name like Pekka or Kalle or Erkki, you get reminded of some Pekka who already in primary school was a head taller than the rest, shot at others with his slingshot, tossed cats down wells and had huge warty fists that would really whoop you so that you could still feel the bruises. Or what about Kalle, who ( - - - (. No, Pekka, Kalle or Erkki would not even be in question when it came to the name.

2. (card games) old maid, Old Maid (unpaired card in the children's card game of "Pekka-peli", similar to "old maid")

Usage notes

• In continuous use since the Middle Ages. Also a common second part in conjoined names like Jukka-Pekka and Veli-Pekka in the 20th century.

Declension

Inflection of Pekka (Kotus type 9*A/kala, kk-k gradation)
nominative		Pekka	Pekat
genitive		Pekan	Pekkojen
partitive		Pekkaa	Pekkoja
illative		Pekkaan	Pekkoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Pekka	Pekat
accusative	nom.	Pekka	Pekat
	gen.	Pekan
genitive		Pekan	Pekkojen Pekkain rare
partitive		Pekkaa	Pekkoja
inessive		Pekassa	Pekoissa
elative		Pekasta	Pekoista
illative		Pekkaan	Pekkoihin
adessive		Pekalla	Pekoilla
ablative		Pekalta	Pekoilta
allative		Pekalle	Pekoille
essive		Pekkana	Pekkoina
translative		Pekaksi	Pekoiksi
abessive		Pekatta	Pekoitta
instructive		—	Pekoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Pekka (Kotus type 9*A/kala, kk-k gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Pekkani Pekkani accusative nom. Pekkani Pekkani gen. Pekkani genitive Pekkani Pekkojeni Pekkaini rare partitive Pekkaani Pekkojani inessive Pekassani Pekoissani elative Pekastani Pekoistani illative Pekkaani Pekkoihini adessive Pekallani Pekoillani ablative Pekaltani Pekoiltani allative Pekalleni Pekoilleni essive Pekkanani Pekkoinani translative Pekakseni Pekoikseni abessive Pekattani Pekoittani instructive — — comitative — Pekkoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Pekkasi Pekkasi accusative nom. Pekkasi Pekkasi gen. Pekkasi genitive Pekkasi Pekkojesi Pekkaisi rare partitive Pekkaasi Pekkojasi inessive Pekassasi Pekoissasi elative Pekastasi Pekoistasi illative Pekkaasi Pekkoihisi adessive Pekallasi Pekoillasi ablative Pekaltasi Pekoiltasi allative Pekallesi Pekoillesi essive Pekkanasi Pekkoinasi translative Pekaksesi Pekoiksesi abessive Pekattasi Pekoittasi instructive — — comitative — Pekkoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Pekkamme Pekkamme accusative nom. Pekkamme Pekkamme gen. Pekkamme genitive Pekkamme Pekkojemme Pekkaimme rare partitive Pekkaamme Pekkojamme inessive Pekassamme Pekoissamme elative Pekastamme Pekoistamme illative Pekkaamme Pekkoihimme adessive Pekallamme Pekoillamme ablative Pekaltamme Pekoiltamme allative Pekallemme Pekoillemme essive Pekkanamme Pekkoinamme translative Pekaksemme Pekoiksemme abessive Pekattamme Pekoittamme instructive — — comitative — Pekkoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Pekkanne Pekkanne accusative nom. Pekkanne Pekkanne gen. Pekkanne genitive Pekkanne Pekkojenne Pekkainne rare partitive Pekkaanne Pekkojanne inessive Pekassanne Pekoissanne elative Pekastanne Pekoistanne illative Pekkaanne Pekkoihinne adessive Pekallanne Pekoillanne ablative Pekaltanne Pekoiltanne allative Pekallenne Pekoillenne essive Pekkananne Pekkoinanne translative Pekaksenne Pekoiksenne abessive Pekattanne Pekoittanne instructive — — comitative — Pekkoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Pekkansa Pekkansa accusative nom. Pekkansa Pekkansa gen. Pekkansa genitive Pekkansa Pekkojensa Pekkainsa rare partitive Pekkaansa Pekkojaan Pekkojansa inessive Pekassaan Pekassansa Pekoissaan Pekoissansa elative Pekastaan Pekastansa Pekoistaan Pekoistansa illative Pekkaansa Pekkoihinsa adessive Pekallaan Pekallansa Pekoillaan Pekoillansa ablative Pekaltaan Pekaltansa Pekoiltaan Pekoiltansa allative Pekalleen Pekallensa Pekoilleen Pekoillensa essive Pekkanaan Pekkanansa Pekkoinaan Pekkoinansa translative Pekakseen Pekaksensa Pekoikseen Pekoiksensa abessive Pekattaan Pekattansa Pekoittaan Pekoittansa instructive — — comitative — Pekkoineen Pekkoinensa

Synonyms

• (old maid): Musta Pekka (dated, politically incorrect)

Derived terms

• Pekkala
• Pekkanen
• Pekkarinen

 

compounds

• Ari-Pekka
• esapekka
• Jari-Pekka
• Juha-Pekka
• Jukka-Pekka
• Olli-Pekka
• onnenpekka
• Pekka-peli
• resupekka
• Veli-Pekka
• velipekka

 

Related terms

• (male given names) Peetu, Pekko, Petri, Petteri, Pietari
• (female given names) Petra
• (surnames) Pehkonen, Pekkala, Pekkanen, Pekkarinen, Pekkola, Pellikka, Pellinen, Pesonen, Pietarinen, Pietikäinen, Pietilä, Pietiläinen, Pärssinen

Statistics

• Pekka is the 11^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 30,603 male individuals (and as a middle name to 45,930 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.