CHANGE OF NAME

The Case Study of Minangkabau People

By: Anggun Gunawan

 “WHAT’S IN A NAME?
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE – ROMEO & JULIET

Context: It is a conversation when Juliet realized that the

man who she liked has a family name from her family
enemy.
 THE MEANING OF NAME
• Identity
• Praying (abdur rahman)
• Administratif (bird certificate, id card)
• Social clasification
Some aristocratic/noble name in Indonesia)
Such as: Andi (Makassar), Raden Mas – Gusti – Raden Ayu
(Java), Ida Bagus – Ida Ayu – Anak Agung (Bali)
 MINANGKABAU IS A DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETY

• There is no specific name indicating social degree

• Ketek banamo, gadang bagala (when someone is
child, he has a name given by his parents – when he is
adult, he has customary titles in spite of married and
having position in his community)
Ex:
Married title: Sutan Malenggang, Sutan Pamenan, Sutan
Mangkuto, Basa, Bandaro, Panduko
Customary title: Datuk Rajo Intan, Datuk Panduko Kayo,
Datuk Rajo Alam
Datuk Rajo Bandaro, Datuk Rajo Ameh, Datuk Rajo Nan
Sati
 MINANGKABAU’ NAME
ON HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
• Pre Historic era
• Hinduism and Budhism era
• Islamic era – Indonesian Independence
• PRRI (Pemerintahan Revolusioner Republik Indonesia –
1957-1959) – 1970s
• 1980 - 1997
• Reformation era
 PRE HISTORIC PERIOD
In this time, minangkabau’s names were referred to the name
of nature. It is based on the philosophy “alam takambang
jadikan guru” (nature as teacher)
• Harimau Campo (the lion from Campa – a region in
Kambodja)
• Pauh (a fruit – like manggo)
• Manggih (mangosteen)
• Kirai (wag/waggle)
• Si Rancak (the beautiful)
• Jilatang (wild grass -can make itching )
• Masiak (when the loaves fell down – brown leaf)
• Jangguik (beard)
 HINDUISM AND BUDHISM
ERA
In this era Minangkabau’s names was influenced by
sanskrit
• Adityawarman (The King of Pagarruyung)
Aditya :the god of sun, clever, the wise
warman : smart fighter
• Adwayawarman (Adityawarman’s Father)
• Dara Jingga (dove bird – a girl with red skin – the
princess of Dharmasraya Kingdom)
• Akarendrawarman (Aditywarman’s uncle)
• Ananggawarman (Aditywarman’s son)
 ISLAMIC ERA – INDONESIA
INDEPENDENCE PERIOD
• INFLUENCED BY ARABIC

• Mohammad Attar, Mohammad Natsir, Saiful, Bahri,

Mochtar, Ali, Amir, Arifin, Ismail, Aziz, Fauzah, Hamid, M.
Rais, Zakiah, Ibrahim, Idris, Rasid, Sofyan, Dahlan,
Fatimah, Aminah, Maimunah, Hayati, Nurhasanah,
Nuraini, Saidah

• Burhanuddin, Syarifudin, Baharuddin, Syamsul Bahri

 CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE

Tan Malaka

Original Name: Ibrahim

Customary title: Tan Malaka
The Leader of Partai Sosialis Indonesia
(Indonesian Socialist Party)
 • DN (Dipa Nusantara)Aidit

• Original Name: Achmad Aidit

• DN: Dja’far Nawawi
• His Parents are from Maninjau West Sumatera
• The Leader of PKI (Indonesia Communist Party)
 PRRI – 1970S
• IT WAS THE TIME WHEN MINANGKABAU WAS JUDGED AS
THE REBELS
• THE NATIONAL ARMY LED BY AHMAD YANI AND
COMMUNIST ARMY ATTACKED WEST SUMATERA
• EVERY VILLAGE led by Javanese or Communist people.
• Minangkabaunese got inferiority and mentioned their
identity as “the loser”
• Minangkabau’s parents gave their children with
Javanese name (new identity to survive)
 CREATIVE NAMES
• Parmanto
His father is from Parikmalintang, His mother is from Toboh (2
villages in Pariaman City)

• Surianto
‘Surian’ (a village name in Solok city), Koto (one of sub tribes in
Minangkabau).

• Gusti Asnan
Gusti’ is abreviation of ‘Gus’ (born in ‘August) ‘ti’ was from “eti”
(the midwifery who helped when the childbirth). ‘Asnan”
stands from the initial name of his mother (Asyiah becomes
‘As’) and his father’s initial (‘Syahminan’ becomes ‘nan’)
 JUST DUPLICATE
• Irwan Prayitno (The Governor of West Sumatera)
• Riki Prayitno
• Edi Hartono
• Adi Purnomo
• Adi Mulyono
 1980-1997
TREND OF ‘ZAL’ AND NIAR
• Rizal, Rizaldo, Rizaldi, Afrizal, Erizal, Syamsurizal, Syahrizal,
Endrizal, Masrizal, Syafrizal, Hendrizal, Efrizal, Nofrizal.

• Yusniar, Yuniar

TREND OF WESTERN NAME

Alex, Andreas, Hendri(k), Anthon(y), Roni,
Yohanes, Octavia, Octavianus, Matius, Agustin, Angela,
Monica, Susi, Selly,
Ryan, Mathias, Dona, Harry, Sintia, Agnes, Yosep, Yoserizal,
John, Johan,
Yohanna
GREATY SOUVANIR
• TREND OF SANSKRIT NAME
Eka, Eko, Ika, Dharma, Bakti, Agus, Esa,
Kurniawan, Sinta, dst.
 REFORMATION ERA
• Back to Arabic Name
The spirit of “Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi
Kitabullah” (Culture hinges to Religion, Religion hinges to
Alqur’an)
Such as: Nabila, balqis, furqan, amri, azis, urwatul wusqa
• Add the sub tribe name (Koto, Tanjung, Chaniago,
Piliang)
• Andrinof Chaniago, Iwan Piliang, Indra J Piliang,
Markoni Koto, Basrizal Koto, Asril Tanjung
THANK YOU