<![CDATA[Background: Border regions are dynamic spaces where cultural and religious identities are negotiated through everyday practices. In Kletek Village, Malaka Regency, a Muslim minority community living among a Catholic Tetun majority combines Arabic-Islamic given names with Tetun clan names. This naming practice reflects cultural negotiation among religious identity, kinship, and customary belonging within the border context of Malaka Regency. Objective: This study aims to examine the structure, driving factors, and cultural negotiation processes underlying acculturative naming practices among the Muslim community in Kletek Village, Malaka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Methods: This study employs a qualitative ethnographic approach. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with religious figures, customary elders (fukun), and parents, alongside an analysis of kinship and lineage documents. Results: The findings reveal a hybrid, tripartite naming structure in which the given name incorporates Arabic-Islamic theological elements, while the surname preserves Tetun cultural identity using a clan name. This phenomenon is driven by sociocultural considerations, particularly the protection of customary land rights and inheritance within a matrilineal system, as well as the preservation of interfaith kinship ties. The naming process is negotiated harmoniously through peaceful deliberation among parents, ustadz (Islamic religious teachers), and customary elders or fukun, who serve as custodians of ancestral lineage. Conclusion: This acculturative naming practice functions as a social bridge that enhances flexibility in personal identity while maintaining social harmony in the borderlands.]]>
