Following Formatting Filling Names

 With increasing participation of people of different places in various activities globally , new type of problems are found in communicating information. One such example is filling name of a person in a form. Different conventions are followed in writing name of a person by people of different places and  communities.

 Names of people  can be  of one,  two,  three and more than three parts   and each part of the name bears some meaning which differs from place to place , community to community. One does not like if his/her name is written in a way which is not correct, due to a format followed which can not accommodate everything clearly and correctly.

 Forms with different formats for writing ones’ name are used world over for various purposes. Few examples of formats for names given below.

Firstname middlename    last name                                               Firstname  last name                                                               Surname  first name                                                                       Firstname surname                                                                    Full name        Short name

 The meaning attached to first name ,middle name, last name, surname at different places differ. When someone reads a name of a person who is from  a different place and culture, gets mislead about the conventions used in the name.

 Few examples of different conventions followed by people at different places:   keeping first name or last name of  father as one part of the name,  keeping name of place or clan as one part,   keeping  surname of   husband as a part of the name by married women. People  get different information about a person from the name.

While filling any form , according to the constraints in  formats and space , one tries to fit his/her name the way he/she feels okay. But when some one else reads the name he may see a different person with the same name.

For example for them whose name consists of three parts, if two columns/fields  are available, some people do not write all three parts of their name, some others try to combine two parts with a space and write in one of the two columns provided  and few join two parts without a space and write in one column.

For correct and complete communication of ones’ name one   big space/field on all forms should be provided along with other formats  generally  used to retrieve any other  information from the name.