To search for people by name, simply enter any of the name parts (first, middle or last name) that you know, select the comparison method for each of those name parts, and click the "Search" button (or press the Enter key). Only one name part is required, but the more you enter, the faster the response and the shorter the returned list of names will be. Regardless of the comparison method chosen, all name parts are case-insensitive, i.e., the results will be the same whether you use upper-case or lower-case letters in the names.
The comparison methods, or operators, available to each name part are listed below:
| sounds like | Names that are spelled similarly (or sound roughly the same) |
| equals | Names that are spelled exactly the same |
| begins with | Names that begin with this prefix |
| contains | Names that contain this string |
| ends with | Names that end with this suffix |
Using these methods, you can construct a query that, for example, searches for people whose last name sounds like "O'Neal" and whose first name begins with "Jean". The returned list might contain names like the following:
O'Neal, Jean
O'Neil, Jeanne
O'neill, Jeanie
ONeill, Jeanette
Since many people are known primarily by their middle name, the ability to seach by middle name is also provided. However, often you may not know if a name is a person's first name or middle name. In these cases, you may choose to search for all those names where the first OR middle name matches the given name by entering the name in the first name field and selecting "First or Middle Name" in the drop-down box for the first name. For example, to find Boudreaux Fontenot you could enter "Fontenot" in the last name field, "Boudreaux" in the first name field, select the "equals" comparison method for both, and select "First or Middle Name." The list of returned name could contain the following:
Fontenot, Alphonse Boudreaux
Fontenot, Boudreaux A
Fontenot, Boudreaux C
Fontenot, Ti-Frere Boudreaux
For your convenience, you may choose to enter the full name in the last name field. Simply enter the last name, a comma, the first name and, optionally, a middle name in the field for the last name. The comparison method selected for the last name will apply to the last name and the first and middle name methods will always default to "begins with." When the list of names is returned, the name parts will also be placed in their appropriate fields.
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