Jalkanen

Jalkanen is a Finnish surname. Notable people with the surname include: Kustaa Jalkanen (1862–1921), Finnish farmer and politician Kalle Jalkanen (1907–1941), Finnish cross-country skier Kauko Jalkanen (1918–2007), Finnish fencer Timo Jalkanen (born 1936), Finnish diplomat and jurist Kari Tapio (1945–2010; birth name Kari Tapani Jalkanen), Finnish singer Markku Jalkanen (born 1954), Finnish scientist, biotech entrepreneur and businessman Sirpa Jalkanen (born 1954), Finnish scientist, working in the field of biomedical and clinical medicine Karl James Jalkanen (born 1958), researcher Ilja Jalkanen, Finnish vocalist for Kiuas

==Meaning== The prefix Jalka generally means "foot," but also can refer to the leg of a stool or an animal's paw. Jalka- thus has a loose meaning, and when the prefix is added to the common -nen Finnish name ending it loses its colloquial meaning. Like most Finnish names, whether Jalkanen has a formal meaning is ambiguous. Generally, Finnish surnames do not have the same meaning schemes as other European names. If Finnish names were used to indicate a family's original trade (as with English and German names, like Miller, Shoemaker, Brewer, Smith, etc.) then the term "foot" or "Jalka" could refer to a profession such as a cobbler or tracker.