JPN name registration rules

Who decides

According to Bernama (26 March 2025), JPN's guidelines have three categories: prohibited names, undesirable names and names linked to ancestry. The basis is Section 16 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 (Act 299), which applies in Peninsular Malaysia and gives the Registrar-General the authority to accept or reject a name. Sinar Harian reported the same on the same day. The JPN website lists birth services separately for the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak, and The Star (8 August 2026) gives a birth registration period of 60 days in the Peninsula and 14 days in Sabah and Sarawak. Parents who are unsure are advised to ask JPN before deciding.

Reported rules at a glance

Length and spelling

The Star (8 August 2026) reports that a registered name must not exceed 80 characters including spaces, and Utusan Malaysia (October 2018) reported the same limit. Bernama adds that the longest registered name has 15 words and the shortest two letters. The Star also says names that are overly fancy, hard to pronounce or hard to spell are unsuitable, with “ytjt” and “chuynx” as examples. The JPN director-general is quoted urging parents to think about how a name will work on forms and in official matters such as marriage, and the same paper reports 1,575 applications since 2024 from people who want shorter names.

Titles and abbreviations

Bernama and Sinar Harian (26 March 2025) list the titles that are prohibited as names: Tan Sri, Datuk, Datuk Seri, Tun, Haji, Nabi, Governor, Dr and Mahaguru. Both also report that shortened forms such as D, M, Mohd and Abd are not allowed for children. Utusan Malaysia (2018) explained what this means in practice: abbreviations must be written in full, so “Abd.” becomes Abdul and “Mohd.” becomes Mohamad. That report is older, so check with JPN if you need certainty today. For common spellings of these names, see the spelling guide and the element pages for Muhammad and Abdul.

Refused and undesirable names

According to The Star (2026), names with a bad meaning are refused. Names considered undesirable include single letters, numbers, and names of fruit, vegetables or tools; Bernama and Sinar Harian also mention animal names. Bernama words this as parents being advised against such names, while Sinar Harian says they are prohibited, so the reports differ in wording. The Star explains that parents who still want an undesirable name, such as “hotel”, must sign a sworn statement that they understood JPN's advice and chose to proceed. Utusan (2018) reported that JPN lists 16 groups of names that are not allowed but did not list them all. Bernama adds that non-Muslim families may not give a child the name of a god.

Hereditary titles

Titles such as Tengku, Megat and Puteri are allowed only if genuinely inherited, and JPN decides this (Bernama and Sinar Harian, 2025). The Star (2026) lists Tengku, Engku, Megat, Syed, Sharifah and Nik, and says they are allowed when inherited through the father in a legitimate marriage. Hereditary titles differ from awarded honours such as Datuk or Tan Sri, which cannot be a name.

Bin, binti, a/l and a/p

Bin means “son of” and binti “daughter of”; many Malays leave them out in daily use (Wikipedia: Malay names). A/L and A/P abbreviate the Malay phrases for “son of” and “daughter of” in public records (Learn Sayari). The Star (2026) cites a 2017 Home Ministry answer in Parliament that a/l and a/p are not compulsory, and notes that adding them is the norm among Indian parents. For children born out of wedlock, Sisters in Islam (14 February 2020) explains that the requirement to use bin or binti Abdullah comes from the 1981 National Fatwa Committee ruling and not from written law, and it reports differing views: Perlis gazetted a fatwa in 2013 allowing the father's name in some circumstances. This is a sensitive matter; consult your state religious authority. See also the Malaysian Indian names guide.

Corrections and changes

The JPN birth FAQ says a name on the birth certificate can be changed through an application for correction of information if the child is under one year old, and the JPN service list includes “Pengubahan Nama Kanak-Kanak Berumur Di Bawah (1) Tahun”. According to The Star (2026), citing a 2025 parliamentary oral session, a child over one can change a name only when applying for a MyKad or after the application is made, and the original birth certificate name remains. It is worth checking the spelling and word order before registering.

Checklist before registering

Frequently asked questions

Sources