Language and Culture Notes

In Indonesia, naming practices vary widely throughout the country. Many people do not have a family name but instead have a unique set of personal names. For example, in one family the siblings may have the following names: Danny Kurniawan, Antonius Setiawan, and Melisa Fransiska. There are some Indonesians who have only one name, as was the case with the second president of Indonesia, Suharto, but most Indonesians have more than one name.