If you go to Bali, you will often find people with the same name, for example Wayan or Made. What do the names mean?
The phrase name is a proper prayer to describe how a name is made not only as a person's identity but also stores meaning and hope for the owner. This is reflected in the unique naming system of various ethnic groups in Indonesia.
Each tribe or group has its own rules in compiling names, one of them Balinese according to the journal Temajaya (2017) composed of elements of gender, birth order, and caste system. The combination of these three elements often makes the Balinese name long.
The gender element generally starts the name of Balinese. Words like 'I' or 'Ni' are used to distinguish the sexes where 'I' is given to men while 'Ni' is to women.
Then, Balinese names are also composed of birth order markers. According to Kanda Pat Sari Literature, there are four types of naming children ranging from the oldest to the youngest, namely Wayan, Made, Nyoman, and Ketut.
In Temajaya's study entitled "The Balinese Naming System", the name Wayan was used for the first child. Wayan comes from the word wayah which means old. For the first child, there are also other variations that are usually used, namely Putu which means grandchild, or Gede which means big. In the caste aspect, the name Putu is more likely to be chosen among the people above the Sudra caste.
Then for the second child, they will usually be called Made which comes from the word madya (middle). The second child can also be called Nengah which also means middle or Kadek which means sister.
The third child will be given the name Nyoman which comes from the word anom, meaning young or small. Other sources also say that the third child can be named Nyoman or Komang which comes from the word uman, meaning leftover. The third child names are associated with the final (young) nature. This can be attributed to the Balinese society which is based on the number three (including the number of children) because it is identical with the Balinese Hindu concept such as Tri Hita Karana, Tri Murti, Tri Rich Parisudha, and others. This also relates to the name Ketut given to the fourth child. Ketut comes from the word ketuut which means to follow or stalk, where this child is said to be born after the first three children.
What if in a family there are more than 4 children? The naming will be repeated/ returned to the first name. So, the fifth child will be given the first child naming, the sixth child will be given the second child naming, and so on. For example, the first child named Wayan and the fifth will also be named the same.
Then how do you distinguish between the first or fifth child?
To avoid this misunderstanding, usually Balinese will give a marker after the birth order name. The markers are for example alit which means little for a child born after four children. In addition, there are also those who use numerical sequences from the Old Javanese language such as panca for the fifth child. Another alternative is to add the word balik that means back.
The last element that forms the name of the Balinese is caste or social class. Nowdays caste no longer functions as a division of labor in society but is still used in the family tree as in naming someone. The castes consist of four groups, namely Brahmins, Ksatrias, Vaishyas and Sudras.
Brahmins are descendants of religious leaders who were trusted in the kingdom to lead religious ceremonies. People from this caste will generally have the first name Ida Bagus for men and Ida Ayu for women. For the Brahmin caste, the words 'I' and 'Ni' are replaced by 'Bagus' (handsome) for boys, and 'Ayu' (beautiful) for girls.
Next, the Ksatrias are descended from kings, aristocrats, or royal groups. People from this caste generally have the title of Anak Agung, Cokorda, or Gusti. For women usually named Dewa Ayu, Desak, or Sagung.
Then for the Vaishya who are descendants of traders and businessmen of the royal era, have names like Ngakan, Kompyang, Sang, and Si. However, these names are rarely found and usually they prefer names in the order of birth.
Finally, the Sudra group who used to work as workers or laborers but now have more varied occupations such as working in government or the private sector. Sudra names use birth order without a certain title.
All these three elements (sex, birth order, caste) are combined into a Balinese name. For example, Ida Bagus Ketut Maha Indra which means a man, the fourth child of the Brahmin group who is expected to be a big person like God Indra.
Another example, Anak Agung Istri Purnamawati means a daughter from the Ksatria group who is expected to grow into a beautiful girl like a full moon.
Now, if you already know the basic concept, can you now guess the meaning of the name of the Balinese you know?
