Island names often originate from old dialects and their meanings are not so obvious today. Plant and animal life, names of people and specific characteristics have given the islands their respective names. Because of the land uplift, there are places called islands on the mainland and some of the larger islands have multiple names. Here are some common elements in the names of places in the Bothnian archipelago.

  • AVA – Bulging stretch of water
  • BASTA – Simple fishing cabin
  • BRÄNNA, BRÄND – Forest was burned to create arable land, this was known as a ’bränna’
  • BÅDAN – warn of shallows
  • BÖRST – Birch
  • ESP, ÄSP – Aspen tree
  • GRÅSJÄL, SJÄL – Grey seal
  • GRÖNNA – Shallows
  • HARE, HARUN – Shallows on the water’s edge, rocky islet
  • HUVUD – High, hilly terrain
  • KALLE – Bare rock sticking out of the water
  • KLUBB, KLOBB – Small, high islet
  • KUNO – Woman
  • MJO, MJU – Narrow
  • NÖRD – North
  • REFT – Long gravel ridge
  • REV, REVEL – Rock and gravel ridge by the waterline
  • SKATA – Cape
  • SLADA – Very shallow water
  • VARP – A place for dragnet fishing. A large net is dragged through the water and hauled onto the beach or onto a boat
  • ÖR – Sand, gravel, gravel ridge

Sources: ‘Från Abborstenen till Östreklacken’ Else-Britt Lindblom, ‘Gårdar och namn i Nederluleå socken’ Else-Britt Lindblom, ‘Ortnamnen i Norrbottens län’ del 9, Gunnar Pellijeff