Single word name
By nawala
@nawala123 (25192)
Indonesia
October 7, 2026 7:22am CST
In Indonesia many people have single word name. For example the first and the second president of Indonesia had only one word, Soekarno and Soeharto. My parents also have single word name too. But for younger generation now that is less familiar. People mostly have 2-3 words name.
5 people like this
6 responses
@May2k8 (20219)
• Indonesia
8 Oct
@nawala123 My grandparents only have their first names but their nicknames are different from their real names.
1 person likes this
@nawala123 (25192)
• Indonesia
8 Oct
@May2k8 my parents have single name too. and yeah in past my late grandma told me that people often had nickname which had nothing to do with their name
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (42096)
• Philippines
7 Oct
It’s so unique that in your culture people have only one name. Here, there’s usually a first, middle, and last name. In your culture, it’s just a single name. What happens when someone marries? The usual custom here is for the woman to adopt the husband’s last name, with her own last name becoming her middle name. Is it the same for you?
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (42096)
• Philippines
8 Oct
@nawala123 I see it as different from the usual traditional way of handling names; with only one name, there is nothing to pass down to their children unless the family decides to name him the same as the father.
1 person likes this
@nawala123 (25192)
• Indonesia
7 Oct
Nom we don't take our husband name because we don't have Suriname. Even for people who from tribe who have Suriname they don't change their family name into their husband family name. Only their kids inherit their father name
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@nawala123 (25192)
• Indonesia
8 Oct
Sometimes people have different nickname though have similar name. Sometimes we have specific detail like calling his name and his father too. But it rarely happens
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@Wrexxo (10549)
•
7 Oct
That's really interesting, I never knew single word names were so common in Indonesia. Kind of cool that your parents have one too, it feels like a small piece of history. Funny how the younger generation is moving away from it, names change with the times i guess.
1 person likes this
@nawala123 (25192)
• Indonesia
7 Oct
But it is less common for younger generation
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