Indonesian name

Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, only 6,000 of which are inhabited, that extends in an arc along the equator. It is the fourth most populous nation in the world (about 242 million) comprising about 365 tribal-ethnic groups, making it unrivaled in terms of ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity. Their naming customs and the use of names match this polycultural, polyglot environment.

Indonesia

There are over sixty ethnic groups recognised in the country, each with their own culture, customs, and language, with the Javanese being the largest single group (45%).

Honorifics

In addition to the usual ranks and professional titles, it is customary to add "pak" or "bapak" and "saudara" for addressing men, and "bu" or "ibu" for addressing women. "Pak" and "bapak" are literally translated as "father" with "bapak" being the more formal. "Saudara" is a term of greater respect and formality, literally translated as "kinsman". "Ibu" is literally translated as "mother" and is used in speech much like the English words "ma'am" and "lady". If you do not know a person's name, you can address an Indonesian man as "Bapak" or an Indonesian woman as "Ibu". Another informal way in addressing older people is to call them "Oom" and "Tante", which mean "uncle" and "aunt". The terms are Dutch-influenced and quite commonly used in big cities.

Naming forms

Indonesians do not generally use the Western naming practice of a given first name and a family last name. The majority of Indonesians do not have family names as the West would understand them but, such names as are given, are geographically and culturally specific. Hence, names such as Supomo, Soeprapto, etc. beginning with "Su, Soe" and ending with an "o" are usually Javanese. In general, Indonesian names fall into one of the following categories (in order of popularity):

* A single name, such as Sukarno and Suharto [" [http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/01/indonesia.plane/index.html?iref=newssearch Officials: Missing jet probably crashed] ," "CNN"]
* Two (or more) names "without" a family name, such as Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
* Two (or more) names "with" a family name such as Abdul Haris Nasution or Liem Swie King
* Two (or more) names "with" a patronymic, such as Megawati Sukarnoputri

These categories of names are described below.

Indonesian naming system

Until recently, most Indonesians did not have family names. Usually, men and women have a given name and take the name of their father. Some married Indonesian women take the last/family name of their husband, but not all, and this name is usually added after their own 'last' name. Therefore, it is not uncommon for married couples to have different last/family names.

Naming also differs around the country, with many Javanese having only one name; North Sumatrans have clan names instead of family names; and some Chinese Indonesians have Chinese-style names. It is interesting to note that Indonesian telephone directories names are listed under first/given names, not under family names.

Example 1: Single word name

Example::Child's name: Gema:Father's name: Suparman:Mother's name: Wulandari

On the birth certificate, the child's name would be written as: Gema child of Suparman and Wulandari

The birth certificate of an extramarital child would bear only the mother's name.

On a school diploma, the child's name would be written as: Gema child of Suparman

On all other official documents (ID card, driver's license, and passport), only the child's name would appear: Gema

Example 2: Multiple word name without family name

Example::Child's name: Gema Pertiwi:Father's name: Suparman Perkasa:Mother's name: Wening Wulandari

On the birth certificate, the child's name would be written as: Gema Pertiwi child of Suparman Perkasa and Wening Wulandari

On all other official documents, the child's name would be written as: Gema Pertiwi

This would be analogous to Americans using their first and middle names but not their last names.

Example 3: Multiple word name with family name

As was demonstrated in Example 1 above, only the child's name will appear on official documents. If the parents want a family name (or surname) to appear on these documents, the family name should be included in the child's official name.

Example::Child's name: Gema Alatas:Father's name: Suparman Alatas:Mother's name: Wening Wulandari Asegaff

On the birth certificate, the child's name would be written as: Gema Alatas child of Suparman Alatas and Wening Wulandari Asegaff

On all other official documents, the child's name would be written as: Gema Alatas

Example 4: Multiple word name with patronymic family name

The family name is usually constructed from the father's name, with the word "putra" (for male, means "son" in Sanskrit) or "putri" (for female, means "daughter" in Sanskrit) appended.

Example::Child's name: Gema Suparmanputra:Father's name: Suparman:Mother's name: Wulandari

On the birth certificate, the child's name would be written as: Gema Suparmanputra child of Suparman and Wulandari

On all other official documents, the child's name would be written as: Gema Suparmanputra

This would be somewhat analogous to the practice in Russia, where the middle name is the patronymic ("vich" and "vna" being the suffixes used). However, Russians still have family names. Perhaps a better comparison would be the system in Iceland, where only patronymics are used.

Occasionally, the father's name will be used as the surname, without appending "putra"/"putri" ("e.g.", Gema Suparman). This is considered unofficial, since it does not match what is on the birth certificate. Despite being different from the official name, this format sometimes appears on government documents.

Modifications to the name outside of Indonesia

Countries often modify the official Indonesian name to conform to their typical naming standards. This is most apparent where individuals normally have a family name.

In the Netherlands, for example, a person without an official family name would be given the surname Onbekend (which means Unknown). Individuals with multiple-word names will often be given this surname, particularly if the last name on the birth certificate differs from the father's family name. Individuals with a distinct family name may also be given this surname if it is recorded differently on the birth certificate.

Referring to the examples above, a Netherlands ID card would record the individual's name as::Example 1: Gema Onbekend:Example 2: Gema Pertiwi Onbekend:Example 3: Gema Alatas Onbekend or Gema Alatas:Example 4: Gema Suparmanputra Onbekend

In Germany, the one-word name is used as both given name and surname. This is often displayed on official documents as Gema Gema or G. Gema.

In the U.S., there are generally three ways to deal with person with only single-word name.
#Use his/her name as his/her surname, then the official records (ID or Driving Licenses or school records) added FNU (or Fnu) as their first name. This can lead to a false belief that Fnu is a common Indonesian first name.
#Use his/her name as his/her first name, then the official records (ID or Driving Licenses or school records) added LNU (or Lnu) as their surname. This can also lead to another false belief that Lnu is a common Indonesian surname. In some cases "FNU" will be added after the name, then standing for "Family Name Unknown". [ [http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/07/07-9550.pdf Example of court document using FNU as a placeholder last name] ]
#Use his/her name as his/her first name and surname, such as Gema Gema.

Origin of family names in Indonesia

Chinese names

Under President Suharto, Indonesia attempted to deconstruct organisations and groups that might represent an internal security threat. As a part of the policy to limit the influence of the Chinese Communists and to encourage the ethnic Chinese to assimilate, the state required Chinese Indonesian individuals to change their names. This was a difficult balance because while the names were changed, laws continued to identify them as 'different' from indigenous Indonesian groups. Indonesian businessman Liem Sioe Liong, for example, had his name changed to Sudono Salim. With Suharto's downfall came new laws, one of which allowed the Chinese to revert to Chinese family names,

Many of the later generations have kept the Indonesian form of the name. Other Chinese Indonesians, however, maintain their Chinese name as well as their family names. As is customary with Chinese names, the family name (or surname) is traditionally written in front of the given (or first) name.

Arabic names

The descendants of Arabs settled in Indonesia many generations ago still used their family names (e.g. Assegaf, Alhabsyi, Shihab). Since Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, it is quite common to find Arabic first names or words (e.g. Amir, Rashid, Saiful, Bahar) being used by Indonesians, both as first names and surnames.

Western names

Baptismal Latin names (e.g. Johannes, Paulus, Antonius, Anastasia) are mostly used by Indonesians of Roman Catholic religion, while Protestant adherents tend to choose the English versions (e.g. George, Harry, John, Stephanie, Melinda). Some non Christian Indonesians also have shortened Western names (e.g. Courtney, Tony, Julie), so some combinations like Ricky Hidayat (Western-Arabic) or Lucy Wiryono (Western-Javanese) are to be found as well.

Local family name

Traditionally, there are few Indonesian nations or tribes whose people do maintain family names. These include:
* Batak, of Sumatra island
* Minangkabau, of Sumatra island
* Manado, of Sulawesi island

Patronymic family names

The Indonesian patronymic family name is usually constructed of the father's name, with the word "putra" (for male) or "putri" (for female) appended. One famous example is former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of former President Sukarno.

Matronymic family names

Located in Western Sumatra, the Minangkabau are the largest matrilineal culture in the world and the fourth largest ethnic group in Indonesia. Tribe, clan (or "suku") titles, properties and names are all handed down through the female line. A man's children are not his clan's heirs. Instead, they are heirs of his wife's clan. When a man dies, he has to leave his possession of clan properties to the children of his sisters. The grandmother is the ultimate matriarch and a power figure. Such customs are unique and unusual in a state with a predominantly Muslim culture.

References

External links

* [http://www.pickbabynames.com/_country/Indonesian.html Indonesian Baby Names] - Indonesian Baby Names with meanings.