Chinese Indonesian surname

Many ethnic Chinese people have lived in Indonesia for many centuries. Over time, especially under social and political pressure during the New Order era, most Chinese Indonesians have adopted names that better match the local language.

History of Chinese Indonesian surnames

Colonial era until 1965

During the Dutch colonial era, the Dutch administration recorded Chinese names in birth certificates and other legal documents using an adopted spelling convention that was based primarily on Hokkien, the language of the majority of Chinese immigrants in the Dutch East Indies. The administrators recorded the names using the nearest Dutch spelling derived from Hokkien words, which was simplified into Ejaan Lama.
A similar thing happened in the British Malaya, where the British administrators record the names using English spelling. The spellings of names in the British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies varied because English and Dutch employed distinct spellings for identical sounds. Furthermore, as Hokkien romanization standards did not exist then, some Romanized names varied slightly.

Surname in Pīnyīn and Traditional Chinese	Pe̍h-ōe-jī	Jyutping	British Malaya	Dutch East Indies
Chén	Tîn	Can⁴	Chan, Chin, Tan	Tan
Guō	Keh, Kok	Gwok³	Kok, Kuok, Quek	Kwee, Kwek, Kwik, Que
Huáng	Hông, N̂g, Ûiⁿ	Wong⁴	Eng, Ooi, Ng, Uwi, Wee	Oei, Oeij, Oey
Lǐ	Lí	Lei⁵	Lee, Li	Li, Lie
Liáng	Liâng, Liông, Niô, Niû	Loeng⁴	Leong	Liang, Liong
Lín	Nâ, Lêm, Lîm	Lam⁴	Lim, Ling	Liem
Yáng	Iâng, Iôⁿ, Iûⁿ	Joeng⁴	Yeoh, Yeo	Jouw, Njoo
Zhāng	Tiang, Tioⁿ, Tiuⁿ	Zoeng¹	Teoh, Teo	Teh, Teo

The spelling convention survived through the Japanese occupation well into Indonesian independence and sovereignty acknowledgment by the Dutch government. Since the independent Indonesian government inherited the Dutch legal system, it also survived until 1965 in Sukarno's presidential era.
The Indonesian government later began changing Indonesian spelling to harmonize it with the spelling used for Malay in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, first under the Ejaan Soewandi introduced in 1947, and again under Ejaan Yang Disempurnakan adopted in 1972. Modifications were identified in this updated spelling system. For instance, the Dutch-influenced "oe" became "u", influenced by English. Additionally, the Dutch-style "j" underwent a shift to the English "y." Consequently, alterations in surname spellings occurred; for instance, the surname Lie became Li, Loe became Lu, Njoo became Nyoo, and Oei became Wi.

1966–1998

Following the rise of Suharto to power, the Indonesian government introduced a series of policies that discriminated against the ethnic Chinese population. Among these was a 1966 decree that strongly encouraged Chinese Indonesians to adopt Indonesian-sounding names, moving away from the traditional Chinese three-part naming system. This policy was part of a broader effort to assimilate the ethnic Chinese minority.
Many Chinese Indonesians reported changing their names in response to government “suggestions,” often feeling compelled to do so due to the climate of fear and coercion. Others chose to comply voluntarily, though not always free from pressure.
Despite this period of forced assimilation, many members of the Chinese-Indonesian diaspora—particularly those who emigrated to countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States—have continued to use their original Hokkien surnames. Some had the courage to retain their Chinese names during Suharto’s rule, while others may have avoided name changes due to the bureaucratic hurdles involved.

2000–present

After Suharto resigned from the presidency, subsequent governments revoked the ban on the ethnic Chinese from speaking and learning Chinese in public. Using the original Chinese surnames is no longer a taboo but only a small minority have decided to re-adopt the original Hokkien names or to use the Mandarin Chinese pīnyīn romanization, pronunciation and spelling. For example, author Maria Audrey Lukito legally changed her name to Audrey Yu Jia Hui.
Individuals who retain their Indonesian names do it because they remain concerned about the persistence of racial issues, they believe non-Chinese speakers might struggle with pronunciations, it has become a habit from the New Order era, their family no longer speaks Chinese, they believe Chinese names are better when written in hànzì, or they have never given it much thought.
Many Chinese Indonesians born around the New Order era, especially between 2000 and 2003, prefer Western-sounding names for several reasons. Some of these names are associated with Christianity, while others are chosen because they are seen as more modern, trendy, and internationally recognizable. Indonesian names are often viewed as too common, old-fashioned, or not stylish enough. Additionally, Western names offer a broader range of options, better reflect global influences, and align with aspirations for international identity. There’s also a sense that the Indonesian language lacks the expressive vocabulary to convey the deeper meanings people want in a name, making Western names a more appealing alternative.

Approaches to adopting Indonesian-sounding names

There were various strategies that were employed to obtain an Indonesian-sounding name. Most names were Hokkien surname syllables with Western or Indonesian prefix or suffix, resulting in many exotic-sounding names. However, alternative methods were also present. Consequently, individuals with the same Chinese surname may adopt distinct Indonesian-sounding names.
Furthermore, due to the absence of regulations in the past regarding the number of names in legal documents, some Chinese Indonesians might have had an Indonesian-sounding given name without an accompanying surname. This was only addressed in 2022 through Regulation of The Minister of Home Affairs Number 73 of 2022, which stipulated the necessity of having at least two names in one's legal name in Indonesia.

Retaining the Chinese surname with an Indonesian given name

One of the strategies to create an Indonesian name is to retain their Chinese surname as they are, but have an Indonesian-sounding given name. The placement of their Chinese surname can vary, adhering to either the Western or Chinese naming order. The most common method of adopting Indonesian-sounding names were to obtain a first name alongside an Indonesian surname with elements derived from their Chinese surname. In certain instances, the phonetic spelling of these surnames is utilized instead of their original spelling, likely to aid non-Chinese speakers in accurate pronunciation or reading of the names.
In cases where the western order is maintained, their surname is placed at the end of the name. For example, Sofyan Tan placed his surname Tan at the end of his name. Other individuals who used this approach include Clara Ng, Felix Siauw, Petrus Kanisius Ojong, Stephen Tong, Sumi Yang, and Warren Hue.
Conversely, individuals who adhered to Chinese naming customs positioned their surname at the beginning of their names. For example, Ong Yenny and Lie A. Dharmawan positioned their surnames Ong and Lie, respectively, at the beginning of their full names. An instance of a phonetic spelling alteration is observed in Leo Suryadinata, who changed their respective surnames Liauw to Leo.
In certain cases, however, the individual retained not only the surname but their entire Chinese name, adding an Indonesian given name at the beginning. This created hybrid names combining both full identities. The pattern resembles the naming convention commonly found among Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia, where an Western given name is placed before the full Chinese name. This is exemplified by Albertus Magnus Tan Thian Sing, Teguh Karya.

Adding Indonesian-sounding elements to the Chinese surname

The prevalent approach to adopting Indonesian-sounding names involved acquiring a first name paired with an Indonesian surname incorporating elements derived from their Chinese surname. This process includes the addition of Indonesian-sounding names through paragoge, prosthesis, and epentheses between two syllables. This method does not entail any spelling alterations in their names, ensuring that the surname remains unchanged.
In the context of paragoge, Chinese Indonesians adopted Indonesian-sounding surnames by appending a suffix to their Chinese surname. As an example, Kimun Ongkosandjojo adopted his surname by combining his Chinese surname Ong with the suffix -kosandjojo meaning "one who brings victory". Other examples include Lukita for Lu, as used by Enggartiasto Lukita, and Tanoto for Tan, as used by Sukanto Tanoto. As for adding Indonesian names as a prosthesis, Indonesian-sounding prefixes are added directly onto their Chinese surname. This is observed in Taslim and Nursalim for Lim, as used by Joe Taslim and Cherie Nursalim, respectively. Another method is maintaining the original Chinese surname and is placed between two syllables as an epenthesis. Examples include Sasongko for Ong and Johanes for Han.
In certain instances, this approach is used by placing the surname at the beginning of the full name, following Chinese naming customs. As an example, Loekito Sudirman placed Loekito, derived from Loe, before his Indonesian given name Sudirman.