Is Cueni a Swedish name?

[Mark Cueni]

We are trying to determine the origin of our name, CUENI, and thought you might be able to help.
 
CUENI is thought to be Swiss in origin.  However it has been suggested several times that the name came from Swedish soldiers, or woodcutters, or
hunters who remained in the Alsace - Northern Switzerland area after the 30 year war.  But, we can trace at least one CUENI back to 1588; a little bit early, but still possible.
 
Some attribute its origin to dairy farmers, claiming it is the diminutive for cow in German.  Still others claim it is derived from kuoni, brave or daring in German.  Spelling variations seem to be infinite.  And we cannot establish a connection with any heraldic symbols.
 
Can you relate this name with anything in Swedish, or any family name ?

[Elisabeth Thorsell]

The name does not look like a Swedish name at all. The spelling Kuoni does look a little Finnish, but my knowledge of that language is limited, so I do not know if there is a word like that.

[Jörgen Tollesson]

Just a suggestion: If you have traced the name to Switzerland or Alsace (Elsass in German), could it not be French?

[Anneli Hagman]

Try to search the internet. I got 1083 hits on Cueni, most of them in Switzerland!
 
/Anneli

[Håkan Bergström]

Mayby a far-fetched association but....
 
There is a word 'kvän' in Swedish with a pronunciation that resembles 'Cueni'. In modern Norwegian it used for Finnish speaking persons in northern Norway. The Finnish corresponding word is 'kainu' or 'kainuu'.
 
There is even a 'Kvänland' up there in the north.

[Heikki Särkkä]

Kuoni is not an existing Finnish word. There are place-names like Alakuona (with a final a) and Yläkuona (Lower and Upper Kuona respectively), but otherwise the word sounds more Swiss.