Names for Balinese are very important. It’s believed that naming a child can affect a child’s life. Often the name is symbolic or carries a special meaning. In Bali, after a baby is 12 days old, a special name-giving ceremony is held called ‘ngerorasin’ (originating from the word ‘roras’ meaning ‘twelve’ in Balinese). There are several factors considered in name giving, including the child’s sex, caste, clan, birth order and the parents’ choice.
Take a look at the table below:
Sex
Caste
Clan
Birth order
Given name (examples)
I (Male)
Ida Bagus/Ida Ayu
Arya
First child:
Swandewi
Ni (Female)
Cokorda
Ngakan
Gede/ Luh Gede
Surya
Anak Agung
Pande
Wayan
Smara
Gusti
Pasek
Putu
Putra
Dewa/Desak
Second child:
John
Made
Cristina
Kadek
Nengah
Third child:
Nyoman
Komang
Fourth child:
Ketut
Traditionally, children’s names were taken directly from everyday Balinese, e.g. Manis, Wangi, Ada etc. Sometimes the name would reflect what happened when the children was born – for example if the family were going through hard times at the time of the birth, the child may have been named ‘Repot’. However, over the last 40 years or so this trend seems to have disappeared. These days, the influence is either from Java or the West. It’s not uncommon to hear of I Wayan John or Ni Nyoman Yohana. Once the child is grown up, they tend to choose to use the name which identifies them most uniquely, rather than the common Balinese part of their name.
Now you know how to give yourself a Balinese name!
Copyright@ Kulture Kid 2005
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