Lehtonen

Lehtonen is a Finnish surname of Virtanen type derived from the word lehto, "grove". Notable people with the surname include: Aatos Lehtonen (1914–2005), Finnish footballer and football manager Aleksi Lehtonen (1891–1951), Finnish archbishop Antero Lehtonen (born 1954), Finnish ice hockey player Antti Lehtonen (born 1993), Finnish ice hockey player Eero Lehtonen (1898–1959), Finnish pentathlete Eira Lehtonen (1939–1984), Finnish gymnast Erkki Lehtonen (born 1957), Finnish ice hockey player Eva Lehtonen (born 1991), Finnish swimmer Frans Lehtonen (1859–1920), Finnish blacksmith and politician Henri Lehtonen (born 1980), Finnish footballer Jani Lehtonen (1968–2008), Finnish pole vaulter Janne Lehtonen (born 1983), Finnish entrepreneur, firefighter, and former Special Operation Forces soldier Joel Lehtonen (1881–1934), Finnish author, translator, critic and journalist Joel Lehtonen (footballer) (born 1999), Finnish footballer Joni Lehtonen (born 1973), Finnish football coach and former player Juho Lehtonen (born 1992), Finnish footballer Jukka Lehtonen (born 1982), Finnish volleyball player Jyrki Lehtonen (born 1948), Finnish sports shooter Kari Lehtonen (born 1983), Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender Kati Lehtonen (born 1975), Finnish cross-country skier Kyösti Lehtonen (1931–1987), Finnish Greco-Roman wrestler Lahja Lehtonen (1927–2016), Finnish missionary Lari Lehtonen (born 1987), Finnish cross-country skier Marja Lehtonen (born 1968), Finnish professional female bodybuilder and personal trainer Mikko Lehtonen, several people Mirja Lehtonen (1942–2009), Finnish cross-country skier Oskari Lehtonen (1889–1964), Finnish lawyer, bank director and politician Pertti Lehtonen (born 1956), Finnish ice hockey player Riikka Lehtonen (born 1979), Finnish volleyball player Samuel Lehtonen (1921–2010), Finnish Lutheran bishop Sauli Lehtonen (1975–1995), Finnish tango singer Venla Lehtonen (born 1995), Finnish biathlete

As the ending -nen in Finnish last names refers to a diminutive or in common language to something very small like a leaflet as the -nen ending transfers to -let ending and as the start of the surname means a grove in English, in theory unofficially the surname would mean Grovelet in English; a very small grove. But as a word grovelet does not exist in Finnish language as term that people use to refer to a small grove beyond the surname itself so the term would be only used to refer to a person with the surname, it would be smart just to stay on the level of just in theory. Beyond the surname itself a -nen diminutive ending to a surname is one of the most common type of surnames in Finland such as Virtanen, Kekkonen, Korhonen.