Saari Family History

Finnish: ornamental name from saari ‘island’ adopted during the name-changing campaigns of late 19th and in the early 20th centuries in southern, western, and central Finland, chiefly to replace Swedish surnames (compare Laine).

In Ostrobothnia and southwestern Finland especially, it may also be a habitational name from a farm so named, referring to its location.

In North America, it is also found as a shortened form of names containing the word such as Viitasaari.