Name Formatter
Properly capitalize a name or list of names, with handling for Mc/Mac prefixes, O' names, lowercase particles like von/van/de, and suffixes like Jr./Sr./II/III.
Formatted Name(s)
John Smith
Jane Doe
Mary-Jane O'Brien
Ludwig van Beethoven
Robert Downey Jr.
How to Use the Name Formatter
Paste a name, or a list of names one per line, in any inconsistent casing — all caps, all lowercase, or a mix — and the tool properly capitalizes each one. It includes hand-written handling for common name patterns: Mc prefixes (McDonald), Mac prefixes (MacArthur), O' prefixes (O'Brien), lowercase particles like von, van, de, and la when they appear mid-name (as in "Ludwig van Beethoven"), and suffixes like Jr., Sr., II, and III, which are kept in their proper form rather than lowercased.
Example
JOHN SMITH becomes John Smith; MARY-JANE o'BRIEN becomes Mary-Jane O'Brien; ludwig van BEETHOVEN becomes Ludwig van Beethoven; and robert downey jr becomes Robert Downey Jr.
Common Use Cases
- Fixing inconsistent capitalization in a spreadsheet or database column of names.
- Cleaning up all-caps names pasted from a form, PDF, or legacy system.
- Standardizing name capitalization before printing badges, certificates, or mailing labels.
FAQs
- How is this different from the Name Splitter? The Name Splitter takes a full name and breaks it apart into separate first, middle, and last name fields. This Name Formatter does the opposite kind of work — it never splits the name into parts, it only fixes the capitalization of the name as a whole, leaving it as one string.
- Will every unusual name be handled perfectly? No naming convention rule set can cover every name in the world — this tool uses hand-written patterns for the most common prefixes, particles, and suffixes, but unusual or less common name structures may still need manual review.
- Are particles like "von" or "de" always lowercased? Only when they appear in the middle of a name, following common convention (as in "Ludwig van Beethoven"). If one of these words is the very first word of the name, it's capitalized instead, since names don't typically start with a lowercase particle.