This is a bit of a tangent - but please don't use firstname/lastname/initial. Not everyone's name falls into that neat grouping.

Quoting myself over on StackOverflow:

Many Asian cultures put the family name first, because the family is considered more important than the individual.

 

Noting that there are a fair number of people who use a name that isn't the one bestowed by their parents, I've used the following scheme with some success:

 

Full Name (as normally written for addressing mail); Family Name; Known As (the name commonly used in conversation).

 

E.g.:

 

Full Name: William Gates III; Family Name: Gates; Known As: Bill

 

Full Name: Soong Li; Family Name: Soong; Known As: Lisa

See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/259634/splitting-a-persons-name-into-forename-and-surname/259694#259694 for more.

This is a bit of a tangent - but please don't use firstname/lastname/initial. Not everyone's name falls into that neat grouping.

Quoting myself over on StackOverflow:

Many Asian cultures put the family name first, because the family is considered more important than the individual.

Noting that there are a fair number of people who use a name that isn't the one bestowed by their parents, I've used the following scheme with some success:

Full Name (as normally written for addressing mail); Family Name; Known As (the name commonly used in conversation).

E.g.:

Full Name: William Gates III; Family Name: Gates; Known As: Bill

Full Name: Soong Li; Family Name: Soong; Known As: Lisa

See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/259634/splitting-a-persons-name-into-forename-and-surname/259694#259694 for more.

This is a bit of a tangent - but please don't use firstname/lastname/initial. Not everyone's name falls into that neat grouping.

Quoting myself over on StackOverflow:

Many Asian cultures put the family name first, because the family is considered more important than the individual.

Noting that there are a fair number of people who use a name that isn't the one bestowed by their parents, I've used the following scheme with some success:

Full Name (as normally written for addressing mail); Family Name; Known As (the name commonly used in conversation).

E.g.:

Full Name: William Gates III; Family Name: Gates; Known As: Bill

Full Name: Soong Li; Family Name: Soong; Known As: Lisa

See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/259634/splitting-a-persons-name-into-forename-and-surname/259694#259694 for more.

This is a bit of a tangent - but please don't use firstname/lastname/initial. Not everyone's name falls into that neat grouping.

Quoting myself over on StackOverflow:

Many Asian cultures put the family name first, because the family is considered more important than the individual.

Noting that there are a fair number of people who use a name that isn't the one bestowed by their parents, I've used the following scheme with some success:

Full Name (as normally written for addressing mail); Family Name; Known As (the name commonly used in conversation).

E.g.:

Full Name: William Gates III; Family Name: Gates; Known As: Bill

Full Name: Soong Li; Family Name: Soong; Known As: Lisa

See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/259634/splitting-a-persons-name-into-forename-and-surname/259694#259694 for more.