LINGTERSA: Jurnal Linguistik, Terjemahan, Sastra
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): LINGTERSA

Identity, Religion, and Globalization in Contemporary Baby Naming Practices: A Socio-Onomastic Study of Names in 2025–2026

Nisa Anggraini Batubara (Institut Seni Budaya Indonesia Aceh)
Mhd. Pujiono (Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Tasnim Lubis (Universitas Sumatera Utara)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Aug 2026

Abstract

This study aims to examine socio-onomastic trends in baby naming practices in Indonesia during the 2025–2026 period by focusing on issues of identity, religiosity, and globalization reflected in naming choices. The data consist of 30 baby names collected through documentation techniques from online news portals, social media platforms, and the researcher’s local environment. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach within the framework of socio-onomastics, which views personal names as linguistic phenomena closely related to social and cultural factors. Data were analyzed by identifying linguistic elements, cultural backgrounds, and social values embedded in the selected names. The findings reveal three major trends in contemporary baby naming practices. First, religiosity remains a dominant influence, reflected in the frequent use of Arabic-derived names and names carrying religious meanings. Second, globalization has significantly shaped naming patterns, as evidenced by the incorporation of linguistic elements from various languages, including English, French, Hebrew, and Sanskrit, often combined within a single name. Third, there is a growing tendency toward creative and innovative naming practices, reflecting parents’ desire to construct distinctive identities for their children. These findings suggest that baby names function not only as markers of personal identity but also as representations of cultural values, religious beliefs, social aspirations, and contemporary global orientations.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

lingtersa

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

LINGTERSA adalah jurnal peer-reviewed dengan dewan editorial yang terdiri dari ilmuwan ahli di bidang Linguistik, Kesusastraan, dan Terjemahan. Jurnal ini dipublikasikan oleh Program Studi Linguistik, Program Pascasarjana Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Bertujuan untuk menyediakan ...