Most Indonesians do not have family names. Indonesian names typically fall into one of the following categories (in order of popularity):

• A single name, such as Sukarno
• Two (or more) names without a family name, such as Rudy Hartono
• Two (or more) names with a family name such as Abdul Haris Nasution or Liem Swie King
• Two (or more) names with a patronymic family name, such as Megawati Sukarnoputri

These categories of names are described below.

Indonesian naming system

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 son (or daughter) of Suparman and Wulandari

The birth certificate of an extra-marital child would bear only the mother's name.

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

Gema son (or daughter) 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 son (or daughter) of Suparman Perkasa and Wening Wulandari

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

Gema Pertiwi

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 son (or daughter) 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) or putri (for female) 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 son of Suparman and Wulandari

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

Gema Suparmanputra

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

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

Origin of family names in Indonesia

Chinese names

In Indonesia during the 1960s, there was a political movement to require Indonesian Chinese individuals to change their names. This policy was intended to limit the influence of the Chinese Communist regime. Indonesian businessman Liem Sioe Liong, for example, had his name changed to Sudono Salim.

Many of the later generations keep the Indonesian form of the name. Other Indonesian Chinese, however, still 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.

See also Indonesian Chinese.

Arabic names

The descendents of Arabs who settled in Indonesia many generations ago still used their family names (e.g., Assegaf, Alhabsyi, Shihab).

Local family names

Traditionally, there are few Indonesian nations or tribes whose people do maintain family names. These include:

• Batak, of Sumatra island
• Minang, of Sumatra island
• Manado, of Sulawesi island

Patronymic family name

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.