Three Part Names of Javanese Names
Javanese names typically have three-part names, each part of which is a given name. They do not use surnames. In everyday life, only one name is used.
Culturally, Javanese people use a patrilineal system that traces the hierarchic lineage of the father. This system is particularly used to determine descendants’ right to use royal titles before their names. However, it is not customary for Javanese to pass on a family name.
Many Javanese have just a single name, for example, Sukarno or Suharto. Names may have come from traditional Javanese language; many derived from Sanskrit. Names with the prefix Su-, which means good, are very popular. After the advent of Islam, many Javanese used Arabic names, especially among clerics and the northern coast population, where Islamic influence is strong. Commoners usually only have one-word names, while nobles use names of two or more words, but rarely a surname. Due to the influence of other cultures, many people started using names from other languages, mainly European languages. Catholic Javanese usually use Latin baptismal names followed by a traditional Javanese name, for example Albertus Soegijopranoto, the first Indonesian bishop. Albertus is his baptismal name, while Soegijopranoto is his traditional Javanese given name.
Some people use a patronymic. For example, Abdurrahman Wahid’s name is derived from Wahid Hasyim, his father, an independence fighter and minister. In turn, Wahid Hasyim’s name was derived from his father named Hasyim Asyari, a famous cleric and founder of the Nahdlatul Ulama organization. Another example is former president Megawati Sukarnoputri; the last part of the name is a patronymic, meaning “Sukarno’s daughter”.
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