Companies involved in data collection must ensure the accuracy of their data to effectively utilize it. Having correct names in their databases is crucial as it enhances customer relationships by acknowledging their identities.

Consider scenarios where you’ve registered for a service, only to receive an automated email addressing you incorrectly or using your last name instead of your first due to a form error. Such errors can result in your details being wrongly recorded in a company’s data systems.

This inaccurateness not only diminishes the personal touch but can also tarnish the company’s reputation. Thus, it’s advantageous for businesses to invest in name validation. Unlike validating email addresses or physical addresses, which follow set formats or existing databases, ensuring the accuracy of names presents a unique challenge due to the vast range of possibilities.

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Within the United States, name inspirations derive from diverse cultures, varying spellings of the same name, and occasionally unique elements like hyphenated last names. This complexity increases internationally across different languages and countries.

To assist businesses in validating names on their rosters, the data enterprise Melissa provides a name verification service. According to Tim Sidor, a data quality analyst at the company, they maintain a comprehensive database of recognized names to check against your lists.

“Names are dynamic rather than a static pool of data with fixed boundaries. Different countries and organizations have varying name conventions and these acceptable names evolve continually,” Sidor explained.

This name verification service also extends globally, accommodating international names by identifying keywords or characters typical to certain regions. For example, the name “Roy” might typically be a first name in the U.S. while it could be a surname in France, Sidor noted.

“We know that different languages have certain keywords that represent certain things,” he explained. “And certain extended characters are a kind of a hint to say, ‘Oh, it’s this language. So we had better parse that name that way.’ So all those things, taken in tandem, allow us to parse global names a little bit differently, depending on where they come from, where they originate.”

According to Sidor, because of the nature of names and there being endless possibilities, their list can’t possibly include every known name that will ever come into existence. “Due to lack of standard naming laws and practices, as well as private companies’ willingness to accept endless name variations, there’s no error proof way of preventing new and never heard before names from entering modern lexicon,” he said. “Therefore, there are always going to be new valid names that are not recognized as such – being new or totally unique.”

However, just because a name isn’t on the list doesn’t mean it will be recognized as invalid. In those instances, the entry might not receive a “known name found” flag, but also won’t necessarily receive an “invalid” flag.

“Invalid” flags typically get thrown when there is a vulgarity or otherwise suspicious name. The company maintains a list of known vulgarities in multiple languages so that it can flag those if they show up in the field.

Many individuals concerned with privacy choose to use fictitious names on web forms, opting for famous or clearly fabricated names like Mickey Mouse, Harry Potter, or Taylor Swift. These names often are curated on lists which could cause them to be flagged as invalid or suspicious.

“Mickey Mouse is probably not valid, and that’s easy,” he explained. “However, with a name like Taylor Swift, which might belong to multiple individuals or to the celebrity herself, it’s prudent to flag such entries as suspicious and possibly verify further with an address or take additional steps to confirm their authenticity.”

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