Save Type Surname (from location) Usage Finnish (Rare), Swedish (Rare) Pronounced Pron. taw-PEH-li-uys(Swedish) to-PEH-lee-oos(Finland Swedish) [key·IPA] Other Forms FormsToppelius Meaning & History Latinized form of the Finnish place name Toppila in Ostrobothnia, Finland. Zachris Topelius (1818-1898) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, journalist, and historian.