Aho
A Scandinavian surname most often linked to Finnish and Karelian place-names, especially words for a field or clearing.
The #8,506 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,738 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Aho is best understood as a Finnish and Karelian surname from the common noun aho, meaning a clearing, open glade, or rough field. As a family name, it would originally have identified someone who lived near such a place or came from one named Aho. In Scandinavian records and later surname usage, the name is associated especially with Finnish-speaking areas of the eastern Baltic world.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Finland, where it became established as a hereditary family name and is still common today. It also appears in Swedish and wider Scandinavian contexts through migration and historical contact between Finnish and Swedish-speaking populations. In modern times it is well known in Finland through several public figures, including writers and politicians.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Finnish place-name usage, aho is a very old everyday word, so the surname has a strongly local, landscape-based feel.
From the historical record
“q.v., the dim. of Ellis. Robert Allot, 1273. A. Walter AHo^ ibid. 'Alyott de Symondstoo held half an '1h,*-”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)