Our methods
How this name dictionary is built
Each entry brings together name forms, evidence for meanings, and usage notes so you can understand what the information supports.
This dictionary gathers names from varied records, groups spelling variants, and explains meanings and usage with their limitations. Meanings draw on dictionaries and reference works for the source language; entries explain uncertainty. Popularity reflects a sample, and corrections are made when supported by evidence.
How are names collected?
Records of notable Indonesians
Public records about notable Indonesians help identify names in use. A name appearing in these records does not establish that it is common throughout Indonesia.
An aggregated voter-list sample
A voter-list sample contributes aggregate counts of name occurrences. Individual names from that list are not published; the dictionary presents combined patterns.
Curated name lists
Selected and organized name lists provide additional candidates and comparisons. Inclusion in a list does not, by itself, establish a name’s meaning or origin.
How are given names separated from other name elements?
Indonesian full names can include titles, particles, naming markers, and family names. These elements are separated when identifying given names, with attention to context. An abbreviation or a word’s position alone may not establish its function. This distinction helps keep other elements from being mistaken for given names, without drawing conclusions about the identity of the person whose name appears.
How are titles, particles, and family names handled?
| Element | Treatment |
|---|---|
| H. | Separated as an abbreviated title where context supports it. |
| Raden, Teuku, Andi | Assessed as titles or naming elements in context. |
| I / Ni | Separated when functioning as naming markers. |
| Batak marga | Recorded separately as a clan or family-name element. |
Why do different spellings share an entry?
| Spelling examples | Grouping |
|---|---|
| Soekarno / Sukarno | One entry covering older and newer spellings. |
| Achmad / Ahmad | One entry with spelling variants. |
| Rizky / Rizki | One entry with alternative spellings. |
How are male, female, and unisex usage labels assigned?
Gender usage labels come from counts of people bearing a name in the sample, rather than its sound or meaning. A name is labeled unisex when each of the two compared categories accounts for at least 20% of usable counts. The size and completeness of those records affect interpretation. These labels describe recorded usage of a name; they do not determine anyone’s gender or restrict who can use it.
What does name popularity mean here?
Occurrences in the sample
Popularity measures how often a name occurs in the recorded sample. It supports comparisons within that sample, but does not estimate the total number of people with the name.
Uneven representation
Names associated with notable people and urban records are overrepresented. Differences in coverage can make some names appear more prominent than their use across the wider population would suggest.
No national given-name ranking
Official population-registration releases cited here count full names and are identified accordingly. Their figures are not presented as national given-name rankings or treated as equivalent to this sample’s counts.
How are name meanings assessed?
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Examine the evidence
Meanings draw on dictionaries and reference works for the source language. A similar sound, a frequently repeated story, or an appealing interpretation is not enough to establish a name’s origin and meaning.
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Explain uncertainty
Meaning explanations describe the evidence supporting them. Where interpretations differ or language connections remain uncertain, the entry explains those differences and uncertainties in plain words.
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Make corrections from evidence
Readers can send corrections with supporting sources. Entries are corrected when the evidence supports a change; explanations of origin and meaning can develop as stronger references become available.
How can I suggest a correction?
- Use report a correction and identify the entry and the passage or field you would change.
- Explain your proposed meaning, spelling, element separation, or script correction, with evidence that can be examined.
- Leave out other people’s personal information unless it is necessary to explain the correction.
- For a missing name, use suggest a name; see the editorial policy for further context.
Licence attribution
What attribution applies to the licensed references?
Some reference material comes from the Asuh Anak baby-name corpus (mcsyauqi/nama-bayi-indonesia) and Indonesian Names Dataset (fadhilakbar), both licensed under CC BY 4.0, and Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Text on this site is rewritten, not copied.
Does attribution establish that every meaning is correct?
No. Attribution acknowledges licensed reference material. Meanings draw on dictionaries and reference works for the source language; each entry explains its supporting evidence and any uncertainty about origin or meaning in plain words.
Does attribution change the limits of popularity figures?
No. Popularity figures still describe occurrences within the sample explained on this page. A licence credit does not turn those figures into national population data.
Last updated .