These names may vary due to caste, regional customs and variations in the Balinese language between the north and the south of the island.
The first born are named Wayan, Putu, Gede or for a girl, Ni Luh.
The idea of caste flowed into Balinese culture as close links with Hindu-Buddhist Java evolved.
The inclusion of the caste may also have been due to Airlangga (991–1049), a half Balinese raja of the Kediri Kingdom.
The naming system of the peasant farmers of Bali may have preceded the idea of the caste.
The farmers included indigenous Balinese and very early Hindu-Buddhist missionaries and their followers.
Those of the Sudra caste add an "I" (male) and "Ni" (female) in front of their names.
Some typical names of people of the Ksatria caste include: I Gusti Ngurah (male), I Gusti Ayu (female), Anak Agung (male), Anak Agung Ayu or Anak Agung Istri (female), Tjokorda which is sometimes abbreviated as Tjok (male), Tjokorda Istri (female), Ida I Dewa, Dewa Agung or I Dewa (male), and I Dewa Ayu, and Desak (female).
The name Gusti literally means "leader" as members of the Ksatria were often families promoted from the aristocrat caste.
Other examples are I Gusti Ngurah Rai, military commander and national hero, Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung, former Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati, president of the State of East Indonesia, Dewa Made Beratha, a former Governor of Bali.
Unlike Javanese names, Balinese names of Sanskrit origin do not experience vowel change from final -a to -o (as in Javanese Susilo, from Susila), albeit they are still pronounced as schwa /ə/ in Balinese (pronounced like *Susile).