Naming a child at birth is a big responsibility for parents. Modern parents, irrespective of race and creed, may even turn to books to find what they consider would be the most suitable for their newly born.
Iban parents usually name their infants after their forebears – though some may find this difficult as their knowledge of their family tree may be confined to their grandparents or none at all. Some may not even know the names of their immediate grandparents, both paternal and maternal. It is a good thing if they know their own parents’ names.
” Apart from some “blunders” by registration clerks, there are fanciful landmark names given by parents to their children, some of whom carry the burden, even embarrassment, till death. “
For that matter names such as Endawie, Saban, Kendawang, Jelemin, Kechendai, Bilun, Ujai, Ampoi, Beti are common in the Krian and Saribas basins whereas Jugah, Tedong, Gerinang, Muahari, Jinggut, Bangau, Belayong, Selan and Sibat are more synonymous with the Rajang basin.
It is not uncommon that nowadays, Iban parents just name their offspring simply by choosing common Christian names such as Edward, John, James, Paul or Peter for males and Mary, Elizabeth, Alice or Margaret for the opposite gender.
Bidayuh parents, I found in Serian and Bau, are fond of naming their kids with longer and less common names such as Macdonald, Macalister, Maxwell, Macmillan, Montgomery, Bartholomew, Macarthur and others.
Thus far, I haven’t come across anyone being named Macbeth or Shakespeare but when I was in Kanowit and Julau, I encountered a few Thomas Jeffersons, John Kennedys, Henry Kissingers and Winston Churchills after men who need no introduction.
A friend of mine, upon registering as a new trainee with a Sarawak teachers college in the 60s encountered a small hiccup.
The counter clerk asked: “What’s your name?”
He replied: “Ali Bin.”
The clerk asked again: “Ali bin apa?”
“Ali Bin!”
“Bin Apa?”
“Wilson Ali anak Bin”
“Oh, kenak sik madah awal tek? (Why didn’t you say so earlier?),” said the clerk with a grin.
Retired many years ago, the subject is now known as Penghulu Wilson Ali anak Bin. His late father Bin of Luau, Saratok was a well-known bard and was a friend of my late dad Salok, also a leading bard.
” Some even give their newborns names such as the day of their birth such as Monday and Friday or their Iban equivalent such as Satu, Jemat or Minggu but in Malay we find those bearing the names Khamis, Jemat/Jumat, Sabtu and Ahad. “
There are many instances of Iban parents naming their kids according to events on the day of birth. For example my distant niece and nephew were name Bala and Gata, the former after a big crowd during one Gawai and the latter was born during a Saratok regatta.
My eldest brother, however, named his second son Jokerson Jembu – because he was born while he was playing cards at a club where the jokers were vital components. Jembu was my paternal grandfather, and as such was Jokerson’s great-grandfather.
There are, however, names that are wrongly spelt or heard by the National Registration clerk during registration. A teacher (now headmaster) in Kanowit whose name is supposed to be “Ranggi” was spelt as “Hangih” at birth, thanks and no thanks to problem with the “R” pronounciation among some Sibu and Kanowit natives.
Another old man in the mid-eighties in Sibu went to see my father-in-law about some land matters. He handed over his identity card to Papa who noted his name was spelt as “Krakakkak”. When Papa asked him what his name was, he said: “Kehukik” (actually it should be pronounced “Kerukik” but again this is the problem with the “R” sound).
My late maternal grandma was named Kejuang at birth but when she registered for the first IC in Sarawak circa 1950, the Chinese clerk wrote her name as Juan which became her official name up to her death at the age of 97 in 1988. She was another name “casualty” at the hands of registration clerks together with Ranggi (Hangih) and Kerukik (Krakakkak).
Apart from some “blunders” by registration clerks, there are fanciful landmark names given by parents to their children, some of whom carry the burden, even embarrassment, till death.
For example during my days as a teachers’ college lecturer there were male trainees with names such as Bonaventure, Helikopta, Propella, Sapanama, Menalan and
others.
Some Iban parents name their children after our folklore warriors of Panggau Libau (Raised World) such as Keling, Laja and Sempurai.
For the girls they are named after the beautiful and angelic spouses of these top two warriors namely Kumang and Lulung.
Others name their boys Telajan after the legendary son of Keling, Telajan Nempap Bungkung Tumpur Anchur Nyadi Emperan, Tedung Nyengkung Mantuk Melit Iku Bebelit Dalam Bulan (Telajan who strikes the hills to become a plain, king cobra whose tail coils inside the moon).
Some even give their newborns names such as the day of their birth such as Monday and Friday or their Iban equivalent such as Satu, Jemat or Minggu but in Malay we find those bearing the names Khamis, Jemat/Jumat, Sabtu and Ahad.
There are cases whereby a son-in-law and a father-in-law are namesakes. The same goes to their female counterparts.
For example my late uncle and his father-in-law (my granduncle) shared the name Julung while my sister-in-law (Edward’s wife) and her eldest daughter-in-law are both named Mary.
In another case, two biological brothers were both given the name Henry upon their christening. This was in the early 50s.
Born a year apart, the elder Henry was adopted at birth
by a family from another
river basin while his
younger sibling remained with the parents.
Their parents only realised the two were both Henrys when they registered to enter a newly opened local primary school six or seven years later.
During one adoption and naming ceremony in the 80s where a newly born girl was given at birth, I was privileged to be a principal witness.
When it came to the naming ceremony, a few names were written on several pieces of paper. A few seconds later the pieces of paper were laid on the floor with some grains of rice on them.
A very tame cockerel was let out to pick the name. It took no time to do so and thereby a name was chosen. I cannot recall what the ethnic Iban name was but her Christian name was Felicity. She must be in her early thirties now.
Being parents, we always have anxious moments when it comes to naming our children, especially if they are twins. We came across this anxiety in 1990 when my wife was expecting twins, which was only discovered upon checking with OSC in Kuching after almost three months of pregnancy.
“You are expecting two boys,” said Dr Ong.
As such two names were reserved. One was Jay Kingsley Gara (after my granduncle Gara Rembuyan) and Rex Melvin Saran (after another granduncle Saran Elon). Jay was born fine but Rex was stillborn.
Could it be a misnomer, especially for Rex? And for Jay too, as he lived only for 24 years, deprived from reaching his prime and longevity by cancer.
“To be, or not to be, that is the question:..” says Hamlet in Hamlet (William Shakespeare) but with naming, parents are faced with the question, to name or not to name the kid with such and such a name because a misnomer could lead to grave results or consequences. So take time to ponder the names for your kids.
