Wayan

Wayan is a personal name of Balinese origin that is widely used in Indonesia and among Balinese communities abroad. It is traditionally linked to birth order within a family and is commonly understood as indicating the first-born child.

In traditional Balinese naming practices, children are named according to their order of birth. Wayan is typically associated with the first child, with Made often used for the second, Nyoman for the third, and Ketut for the fourth. For families with more children, the sequence may be repeated or other names may be chosen; practices vary by family and local custom. The naming system is cultural rather than a fixed linguistic rule, and modern Balinese people may adopt different naming patterns in addition to or instead of these traditional names.

Wayan is used primarily as a given name rather than a family surname. In contemporary Indonesia, individuals named Wayan may be identified by that given name in most settings, while some Balinese families also adopt or adapt surnames in line with broader Indonesian naming conventions. The name continues to carry cultural associations with Balinese identity and heritage, particularly among those who maintain traditional naming practices.

Overall, Wayan is a culturally significant name in Bali and Indonesian communities, reflecting traditional birth-order naming while remaining a common, everyday given name in modern usage.