About Indonesia Expat Expertise I am a foreigner from a Western country but have been living in Indonesia for the past 9 years. As a person living and working here, I am able to provide information on transport options and average prices within the country, as well as getting in and out of the country, general hassles people will come up against, visas, recommended homestays, honest and ethical people for legal consultation and private investigation, scams that foreigners should be aware of, safety considerations in certain areas, requirements of living and working here, information regarding leasing houses, apartments, some information on mixed marriages, where to find good medical treatment, jobs, housing, imported foods, cars, restaurants, etc.
Experience I have been living and working here since the beginning of 1999 and have traveled and lived in Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Central Java and West Java.
Question We are having a long-standing battle at my work (I'm a proofreader on a government immigration contract) regarding Indonesian names. My supervisor insists that the name Fnu is a common Indonesian first name. I am almost positive that it is an abbreviation used by the government for First Name Unknown. Have you ever heard of anyone from Indonesia with the first name of Fnu? I'm not kidding, we've disagreed on this for about three years. Any help would be deeply appreciated!
Answer Honestly, I've never heard this used as a first name anywhere in Indonesia, and I've heard some very confusing ones in my time here. In addition, people here can have several given names but no surname. Then again, some have both.
That being said, it would not be uncommon for somebody's first name to be unknown in Indonesia as there are many problems with government agencies keeping proper records and citizens being able to outright buy their 'official' paperwork such as birth certificates, national ID cards, drivers licenses, etc.
After doing a bit of additional research, I would have to agree 100%: FNU stands for 'first name unknown'.
