A reference of Malaysian names
The meaning of names used in Malaysia
6,603 Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western names, 5,353 of them with a sourced meaning. Every meaning links to its source.
Name toolsAll tools →
- Name finder Filter names by gender, category, origin, meaning theme, length and first letter. Open tool →
- Check names JPN doesn’t allow Check a full name against the reported JPN rules: titles, the abbreviations Mohd and Abd, single letters, numbers and the 80-character limit. Open tool →
- Name combination generator Nur, Nurul, Siti, Muhammad, Ahmad or Abdul + a name, from parts that have pages. Open tool →
- How rare is my name? A name’s figures and rank in the JPN tables (top 10 for each sex). Names outside them have no figure. Open tool →
- Name in Jawi The Jawi or Arabic-script spelling of a name, from sources only, with close matches when there is none. Open tool →
- Compare names Put two or three names side by side: meaning, origin, syllables and JPN data. Share the link. Open tool →
Browse by category
- Malay Names
3,832 names
Names common in Malay naming, mostly from Arabic, Persian and Malay.
- Chinese Names
777 names
Chinese names in dialect romanization, with character options and readings.
Chee Keong · Xin Yi · Ah Moi · Kok Leong · Chee Seng
- Indian Names
1,427 names
Tamil, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Telugu and Punjabi names in Malaysian spellings.
Subramaniam · Saraswathy · Saravanan · Muniandy · Ganesan
- Western Names
94 names
Names in European and English forms, from Hebrew, Latin, Greek and other languages.
Names are shared across communities. The categories on this site are for browsing only: they describe a name and its spelling, not anyone’s ethnicity, religion or background.
Most common girl namesSee all →
Most common boy namesSee all →
Ordered by the official JPN data (the top 10 for each sex per decade), then other records. Source: JPN via data.gov.my (CC BY 4.0)
Names by meaningAll →
Chinese surnames
One character, many spellings: 陳 is Tan, Chan, Chin or Chen.
Tan · Lee · Lim · Wong · Chong · Ng · Chan · Ah
All surnames →Name elements
Nur, Siti, Muhammad, Abdul and Ah: parts that open another name.
Nurul · Mohd · Siti · Wan · Sri · Shah · Khairul · Abidin
All elements →Guides
- JPN name registration rules
What is allowed and refused when registering a baby name.
- Choosing an Islamic baby name
Meaning, Abdul and the names of Allah, and when a baby is named.
- Malaysian Chinese names
One character, many dialect spellings; generation names and Western names.
- Malaysian Indian names
a/l, a/p, initials, Tamil script and spelling.
- Name spellings in Malaysia
Mohd, Muhammad, Mohamad; Nur, Nor, Noor; Aisyah and Aishah.
- Name pronunciation guide
How the audio works; sy, sh and kh; Tamil and Chinese dialect spellings.
How to use this reference
MalaysianNames.com is a reference of names used in Malaysia, in Bahasa Malaysia and English. You can find boy or girl names, browse Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western names, or look up names by meaning and language of origin. Each name page shows a sourced meaning, the language of origin, other spellings and, where available, JPN name-popularity data. Chinese names come with character options because one spelling can stand for several characters, and Indian names with the native script where known. If you are about to register a name, start with the JPN name registration rules.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the name meanings come from?
From checkable sources such as dictionaries and character databases, and the source is shown on the name page. A name whose meaning cannot be established is still listed with the facts we have, with no invented meaning. See our methodology.
How are names ordered by popularity?
By the JPN name-popularity data published on data.gov.my (the top 10 for each sex in each decade’s JPN table), then other records. We state no figure that is not in that data.
Do the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western categories show ethnicity or religion?
No. Categories only help you browse and describe a name and its spelling. Names are shared across communities, and we do not guess anyone’s ethnicity or religion from a name.
About MalaysianNames
Every meaning on this site comes from a checkable source, such as dictionaries and character databases, and that source is shown on the name page. Names whose meaning cannot be established are still listed with the facts we have: the origin of the spelling, the native script and official data. How we research names.