Indonesian naming is diverse and regionally mixed. Many people use a single given name without a hereditary surname; others add a patronymic or adopt a family name, especially in cities. Javanese and Balinese names often draw on Old Javanese and Sanskrit, with elements like Adi, Budi, Putra/Putri, Ayu, Yudha, and numeric terms such as Eka, Dwi, and Tri. Balinese birth‑order names (Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut) are common. Muslim communities widely use Arabic forms and particles such as Muhammad, Ahmad, Nur/Nurul, and Abdul. Christian populations, especially in eastern Indonesia, use biblical or European names. Batak groups typically retain clan surnames (for example Siregar, Nasution).
Phonologically, many names favor open syllables and simple CV patterns, with endings like -a, -i, -o, -an, -wan, and -wati; -wati and -sari often mark feminine forms. Legacy spellings show Soe- for Su- from Dutch-era orthography (Soeharto/Suharto). Modern usage blends Arabic and Indonesian elements and increasingly adopts stable family surnames, but there is no single national pattern.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santi | Either 'Saint'/'Saint James' (from Spanish Santiago) or 'peace' (from Sanskrit śānti) | Indonesian, Italian, Spanish | Unisex | 708 #1 | |
| Karisma | Charm, divine favor; (also) 'miracle' or 'wonder' when linked to Karishma | Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Sanskrit | Girl | 391 #2 | |
| Novi | Derived from Latin 'novus' meaning 'new'; often used to signify newness or as a diminutive of names like Novia/Novita. | Indonesian, Latin, Slavic | Girl | 283 #3 | |
| Ario | Noble, honorable (related to 'Arya'/'Arian') | Indonesian, Persian | Boy | 204 #4 | |
| Sari | Most often a diminutive of Sarah meaning 'princess'; in Indonesian/Malay 'essence' or 'core'; in Arabic (Saari) 'night-traveler' or 'moving swiftly'; in Japanese the meaning varies by kanji. | Arabic, Finnish, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Malay | Girl | 187 #5 | |
| Damar | From Indonesian/Malay 'damar' meaning 'resin' or 'torch' - figuratively 'light' or 'lamp'. | Indonesian, Malay | Boy | 157 #6 | |
| Ihan | Likely related to Arabic 'Ihsan' meaning 'benevolence' or 'excellence'. Usage and nuance vary by region; in Finnish the word 'ihan' means 'very' but is not a traditional name. | Finnish, Indonesian, Malay | Unisex | 138 #7 | |
| Yuli | Derived from Julia/Julian - 'youthful' (also interpreted as 'downy/soft‑haired') | Hebrew, Indonesian, Latin, Slavic | Girl | 132 #8 | |
| Mega | Cloud (primary Indonesian usage); 'great/large' (Greek prefix sense) | Indonesian, Sanskrit | Girl | 129 #9 | |
| Kawan | In Malay/Indonesian: "friend"; in Irish Gaelic contexts: related to Caomhán meaning "little beloved/gentle." | Arabic, Indonesian, Irish (Gaelic), Malay, Persian | Unisex | 56 #10 | |
| Laily | Night; often understood as 'born at night' or 'beauty of the night.' | Arabic, Bosnian, Indonesian, Turkish, Urdu | Girl | 53 #11 | |
| Raden | Noble; prince; aristocratic title | Indonesian, Javanese | Boy | 45 #12 | |
| Endi | Varies by origin. Often functions as a diminutive of Andrew/Andreas (meaning 'man, strong'); in some regional uses it appears as an independent name with no single established meaning. | Albanian, English, Indonesian | Unisex | 42 #13 | |
| Kania | In Polish, 'kania' means a kite or buzzard (a bird of prey). As a given name (commonly in Indonesia and internationally) meanings vary by culture and it is sometimes treated as a variant of Sanskrit 'Kanya' meaning 'maiden' or 'girl'. | Indonesian, Polish, Sanskrit | Girl | 41 #14 | |
| Jusuf | He will add | Arabic, Bosnian, Hebrew, Indonesian | Boy | 40 #15 | |
| Jalan | Road, path; way | Indonesian, Malay | Boy | 39 #16 | |
| Yuni | Varies by language and spelling. Often a diminutive of names like Yunita/Yuna; in Japanese or Korean the meaning depends on the characters used. Common connotations include gentleness, grace, or moon-associated imagery in some usages. | Indonesian, Japanese, Korean | Girl | 39 #17 | |
| Syah | King; ruler | Indonesian, Malay, Persian | Boy | 36 #18 | |
| Dawan | Varies by origin: Chinese ofter "big bay"; in English/American usage it's typically a modern/created name without a single traditional meaning. | Chinese, English, Indonesian | Boy | 31 #19 | |
| Eko | One; first (often implying first-born or the first) | Indonesian, Javanese | Boy | 30 #20 | |
| Heri | A local form of Hari/Harry - can imply 'day' (Malay/Indonesian 'hari'), relate to Sanskrit 'hari' (tawny/green, epithet of Vishnu), or be a variant of 'Harry' ('home ruler'). | Indonesian, Malay | Boy | 20 #21 | |
| Kirana | Ray or beam of light | Indonesian, Malay, Sanskrit | Unisex | 19 #22 | |
| Eka | One; first | Georgian, Greek, Indonesian, Sanskrit | Girl | 18 #23 | |
| Ardi | Varies by origin - Albanian: 'golden'; Basque: 'sheep'; also used as a short form of Indonesian names (e.g., Ardian). | Albanian, Basque, Indonesian | Boy | 17 #24 | |
| Dita | Diminutive of Edita/Edith - associated with 'riches/blessed' or 'prosperous in war'; in Indonesian often used as an independent given name. | Czech, Indonesian, Slavic | Girl | 17 #25 | |
| Yuda | Variant of Hebrew Yehuda meaning "praised"; in Sanskrit/Indonesian (from yuddha/yudha) meaning "war, battle, warrior". | Hebrew, Indonesian, Sanskrit | Boy | 16 #26 | |
| Dini | Indonesian/Malay: 'dini' = early, dawn; Arabic: derived from dīn = religion/faith, implying 'religious' or 'of the faith'. | Arabic, Indonesian, Italian, Malay | Girl | 11 #27 | |
| Gani | Arabic: 'rich, self-sufficient'; Hebrew: 'my garden' or 'gardens'; in Albanian/Turkish/Indonesian used as a borrowing from Arabic meaning 'abundant/wealthy'. | Albanian, Arabic, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Turkish | Boy | 7 #28 | |
| Nama | From Sanskrit 'nama' meaning 'salutation' or 'to bow'; also has other meanings in different languages (Japanese 'raw', Indonesian 'name') | Indonesian, Japanese, Malay, Sanskrit | Unisex | 7 #29 | |
| Deka | Varies by culture: commonly an Assamese surname; related to the Greek root meaning "ten"; in Indonesian use it can be a personal name without a single fixed meaning. | Greek, Indonesian | Unisex | 5 #30 | |
| Manis | Often means "sweet" in Malay/Indonesian. If related to the South Asian name Manish, it may be associated with "wise" or "intellect." As a surname, meaning/origin varies by family. | Indonesian, Malay | Unisex | 4 #31 | |
| Deny | Diminutive of Dennis/Denise - 'follower of Dionysus' (god of wine) | English, Indonesian | Unisex | 3 #32 | |
| Keris | Varies by origin: 'love' (if from Welsh Carys/Cerys); alternatively a form related to Keri/Kerry; or 'ceremonial dagger' (if from Malay/Indonesian keris). | Cornish, English, Indonesian, Malay | Unisex | 3 #33 | |
| Setti | Lady, my lady; honorable woman | Arabic, Indonesian, Italian, Malay | Girl | 3 #34 | |
| adikah | From Sanskrit root 'ādi' (beginning/first) - 'first, original'; in Indonesian/Malay 'adik' also means 'younger sibling', so sometimes interpreted as 'little sibling' or 'precious one'. | Indonesian, Sanskrit | Unisex | — | |
| Agum | Mournful, gloomy | Hebrew, Indonesian | Boy | — | |
| Agus | Great; venerable (from Latin 'Augustus') | Indonesian | Boy | — | |
| Ahok | A familiar nickname formed with the Chinese diminutive prefix 'Ah-' plus 'Hok'. The exact meaning depends on the Chinese character for 'Hok', but it commonly functions as a personal/familiar name and is sometimes associated with luck/fortune in some dialects. | Indonesian | Boy | — | |
| Ainaa | Generally treated as a variant of Aina: in Arabic/Malay contexts associated with 'eye' or 'beautiful eyes'; in Finnish Aina means 'always'; in Swahili 'type/kind'. | Arabic, Finnish, Indonesian, Malay, Swahili | Girl | — | |
| Aisyah | Alive; she who lives | Arabic, Indonesian | Girl | — | |
| Akar | Varies by language - commonly “root” (Malay/Indonesian), “flowing” (Turkish), or related to form/shape in Sanskrit-derived usage. | Arabic, Indian, Indonesian, Malay, Sanskrit, Turkish | Boy | — | |
| Alami | Worldly, global; in Malay/Indonesian also 'natural' | Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Swahili | Unisex | — | |
| Alih | Likely a variant of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "exalted, noble"; in Malay/Indonesian 'alih' means "to move/transfer" | Arabic, Indonesian | Boy | — | |
| Amarindah | Immortal or eternal beauty | Indonesian | Girl | — | |
| Amok | Frenzied attack, rage | Indonesian, Malay | Unisex | — | |
| Anakku | My child (literal; often used as a term of endearment) | Indonesian, Malay | Unisex | — | |
| Andin | A modern given name; possibly 'strong' or 'manly' if linked to the 'andr-' root, otherwise a diminutive/modern form without a fixed traditional meaning | Indonesian | Unisex | — | |
| Anggi | Derived from 'angel' - 'messenger' | Indonesian | Girl | — | |
| Anggun | Graceful, elegant | Indonesian, Malay | Girl | — | |
| Ardyan | Probably a variant of Ardian/Adrian; commonly interpreted as 'golden' or 'of Adria/Adriatic', broadly connoting nobility/manliness | Indonesian | Boy | — |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Indonesian-origin name in our dataset.
