Indonesia Naming Customs

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Indonesia

Naming Customs

Understanding customs used in surnames and given names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.

Online Tools

• Behind the Name: Indonesian Given Names
• Surname experience at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin

Surnames

Indonesians comprise more than 1,300 ethnic groups. Not all of these groups traditionally have surnames, and in the populous Java, surnames are not common at all – regardless of religion.

• Indonesians are well aware of the custom of family names, which is known as marga or fam, and such names have become a specific kind of identifier. People can tell what a person's heritage is by his or her family or clan name.

• The various ethnicities of Batak people from North Sumatra are known for their strict tradition of preserving their family names, which are actually clan names.
• The matrilineal clan names of the Minangkabau people' are passed down from mothers to their children.
• The Minahasan people of North Sulawesi have an extensive list of surnames, such as Toar, Lumimuut, Emor, Muntuan, Nayoan, Wenas and Luntungan.
• The Ambonese people of the Maluku Islands have family names such as Lawalata, Matulessy and Latumahina.
• The various ethnicities of Dayak people from the provinces in Kalimantan have surnames such as Dau and Narang.
• The Bugis people from South Sulawesi have surnames such as Mappanyukki, Mallarangeng and Matalatta.
• Among the Toraja people of South Sulawesi, common surname elements include Rante–, Pong–, Allo–, –bua, –linggi. Examples: Rantedatu, Ranteallo, Pongrambu, Pongtiku, Pongrangga, Allodatu, Randebua, Tanabua, Tarukbua, Datubua, Allobua, Senolinggi.
• Javanese people are the majority in Indonesia, and most do not have any surname. There are some individuals, especially the old generation, who have only one name, such as "Suharto" and "Sukarno". These are not only common with the Javanese but also with other Indonesian ethnic groups who do not have the tradition of surnames. If, however, they are Muslims, they might opt to follow Arabic naming customs, but Indonesian Muslims don't automatically follow Arabic name traditions.

For Further Reading

• Indonesian name
• Balinese name
• Javanese nane

FamilySearch Library

Additional sources are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog:

• Indonesia - Names, Personal
• Indonesia - Names, Personal - Dictionaries

References

[[Category:Indonesia]

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