Jarvi Family History

Finnish (Järvi): habitational name from farms so named especially in Ostrobothnia from järvi ‘lake’ referring to their lakeside location.

Also an ornamental name widely adopted during the name-changing campaigns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Finns without surnames and with Swedish surnames in the western and southern parts of Finland (compare Laine).

In the US Jarvi is also found as a shortened form of other Finnish surnames containing the element järvi such as Sikojärvi.

The surname Järvi is also found in Estonia.