split full names

This isn't strictly microformats related but I thought a few
people on 
here might have some advice. Is there an accepted reliable
way of 
dividing a full name into given name and family name?

Actually I'm sure the short answer is no, but is there a
least evil way?

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On 4 Oct 2007, at 10:31, Thom Shannon wrote:

> This isn't strictly microformats related but I thought
a few people  
> on here might have some advice. Is there an accepted
reliable way  
> of dividing a full name into given name and family
name?
>
> Actually I'm sure the short answer is no, but is there
a least evil  
> way?

Depends on which cultures you're expecting to encounter:
<http:/
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_name>

FWIW the majority of people in the world are named with
their family  
name *before* their given name, assuming that their
culture's naming  
convention includes those components in the first place...

Regards,

Nick.
-- 
Nick Fitzsimons
http://www.nickfitz.co.uk/

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On 04/10/2007, Nick Fitzsimons <nicknickfitz.co.uk> wrote:
> On 4 Oct 2007, at 10:31, Thom Shannon wrote:
>
> > This isn't strictly microformats related but I
thought a few people
> > on here might have some advice. Is there an
accepted reliable way
> > of dividing a full name into given name and family
name?
> >
> > Actually I'm sure the short answer is no, but is
there a least evil
> > way?
>
> Depends on which cultures you're expecting to
encounter:
> <http:/
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_name>
>
> FWIW the majority of people in the world are named with
their family
> name *before* their given name, assuming that their
culture's naming
> convention includes those components in the first
place...
>


The biggest problem, IIRC, is non-hyphenated double first
names, like
Mary Jane Smith or something, where "Mary Jane" is
the full first
name.




-- 
Frances Berriman
http://fberriman.com
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