--- type: "datatype" title: "HumanName" datatype: "HumanName" --- # HumanName - [Datatypes](/datatypes) - [Definitions](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName) - [Examples](/datatypes-examples#HumanName) - [Mappings](/datatypes-mappings#HumanName) - [Profiles](/datatypes-profiles#HumanName) ## Overview See also [Examples](datatypes-examples#HumanName), [Detailed Descriptions](datatypes-definitions#HumanName), [Mappings](datatypes-mappings#HumanName), [Profiles](datatypes-profiles#HumanName) and [Extensions]([%extensions-location%]extensions-datatypes#HumanName) A name of a human with text, parts and usage information. Names may be changed or repudiated. People may have different names in different contexts. Names may be divided into parts of different type that have variable significance depending on context, though the division into parts is not always significant. With personal names, the different parts might or might not be imbued with some implicit meaning; various cultures associate different importance with the name parts and the degree to which systems SHALL care about name parts around the world varies widely. \[%dt HumanName 10%\] This table summarizes where common parts of a person's name are found. | **Name** | **Example** | **Destination / Comments** | | --- | --- | --- | | Surname | Smith | Family Name | | First name | John | Given Name | | Title | Mr. | Prefix | | Middle Name | Samuel | Subsequent Given Names | | Patronymic | bin Osman | Family Name | | Multiple family names | Carreño Quiñones | Family Name. See note below about decomposition of family name | | Initials | Q. | Given Name as initial ("." recommended) | | Nick Name | Jock | Given name, with Use = nickname | | Qualifications | PhD | Suffix | | Honorifics | Senior | Suffix | | Voorvoegsel / Nobility | van Beethoven | Family Name. See note below about decomposition of family name | For further information, including all [W3C International Examples](http://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-personal-names), consult the [examples](datatypes-examples#HumanName). **Note: Implementers should read the name examples for a full understanding of how name works.** The multiple given parts and family name combine to form a single name. Where a person has alternate names that may be used in place of each other (e.g., Nicknames, Aliases), these are different instances of `HumanName`. The text element specifies the entire name as it should be displayed e.g., in an application UI. This may be provided instead of or as well as the specific parts. Applications updating a name SHALL ensure that when both text and parts are present, no content is included in the text that isn't found in a part. The correct order of assembly of the parts is culture dependent: the order of the parts within a given part type has significance and SHALL be observed. The appropriate order between family name and given names depends on culture and context of use. Note that there is an [extension]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-assembly-order) for the few times name assembly order is not fixed by the culture. The given name parts may contain whitespace, though generally they don't. Initials may be used in place of the full name if that is all that is recorded. Systems that operate across cultures should generally rely on the text form for presentation and use the parts for index/search functionality. For this reason, applications SHOULD populate the text element for future robustness. In some cultures (e.g., German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese), family names are complex and composed of various parts that may need to be managed separately, e.g., they have differing significance for searching. In these cases, the full family name is populated in `family`, and a decomposition of the name can be provided using the `family` extensions [own-name]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-own-name), [own-prefix]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-own-prefix), [partner-name]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-partner-name), [partner-prefix]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-partner-prefix), [fathers-family]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-fathers-family) and [mothers-family]([%extensions-location%]StructureDefinition-humanname-mothers-family). For robust search, servers should search the parts of a family name independently. e.g., Searching either Carreno or Quinones should match a family name of "Carreno Quinones". HL7 affiliates, and others producing implementation guides, may make more specific recommendations about how search should work in specific cultures or environments. **Constraints** \[%dt.constraints HumanName%\] \[%tx HumanName%\] HumanName is used in the following places: \[%dtusage HumanName%\] ## Elements - **[HumanName.use](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.use)** [0..1]: [code](/code) Identifies the purpose for this name - **[HumanName.text](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.text)** [0..1]: [string](/string) Specifies the entire name as it should be displayed e.g. on an application UI. This may be provided instead of or as well as the specific parts - **[HumanName.family](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.family)** [0..1]: [string](/string) The part of a name that links to the genealogy. In some cultures (e.g. Eritrea) the family name of a son is the first name of his father. - **[HumanName.given](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.given)** [0..*]: [string](/string) Given name - **[HumanName.prefix](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.prefix)** [0..*]: [string](/string) Part of the name that is acquired as a title due to academic, legal, employment or nobility status, etc. and that appears at the start of the name - **[HumanName.suffix](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.suffix)** [0..*]: [string](/string) Part of the name that is acquired as a title due to academic, legal, employment or nobility status, etc. and that appears at the end of the name - **[HumanName.period](/datatypes-definitions#HumanName.period)** [0..1]: [Period](/Period) Indicates the period of time when this name was valid for the named person. ## Aliases - **HumanName.family**: surname - **HumanName.given**: first name; middle name ## Bindings - **HumanName.use**: `NameUse` | strength: code list | reference: #name-use ## Modifiers - **HumanName.use**: Is modifier ## Requirements - **HumanName.use**: Allows the appropriate name for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of names - **HumanName.text**: A renderable, unencoded form - **HumanName.period**: Allows names to be placed in historical context ## Comments - **HumanName.use**: Applications can assume that a name is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old - **HumanName.text**: Can provide both a text representation and parts. Applications updating a name SHALL ensure that when both text and parts are present, no content is included in the text that isn't found in a part - **HumanName.family**: Family Name may be decomposed into specific parts using extensions (de, nl, es related cultures) - **HumanName.given**: If only initials are recorded, they may be used in place of the full name parts. Initials may be separated into multiple given names but often aren't due to paractical limitations. This element is not called "first name" since given names do not always come first. ## Order and Missing Meaning - **HumanName.given**: Order: Given Names appear in the correct order for presenting the name - **HumanName.prefix**: Order: Prefixes appear in the correct order for presenting the name - **HumanName.suffix**: Order: Suffixes appear in the correct order for presenting the name ## Mappings - **HumanName.use**: RIM Mapping: unique(./use) - **HumanName.use**: v2 Mapping: XPN.7, but often indicated by which field contains the name - **HumanName.use**: ServD Mapping: ./NamePurpose - **HumanName.text**: RIM Mapping: ./formatted - **HumanName.text**: v2 Mapping: implied by XPN.11 - **HumanName.family**: RIM Mapping: ./part[partType = FAM] - **HumanName.family**: v2 Mapping: XPN.1/FN.1 - **HumanName.family**: ServD Mapping: ./FamilyName - **HumanName.given**: RIM Mapping: ./part[partType = GIV] - **HumanName.given**: v2 Mapping: XPN.2 + XPN.3 - **HumanName.given**: ServD Mapping: ./GivenNames - **HumanName.prefix**: RIM Mapping: ./part[partType = PFX] - **HumanName.prefix**: v2 Mapping: XPN.5 - **HumanName.prefix**: ServD Mapping: ./TitleCode - **HumanName.suffix**: RIM Mapping: ./part[partType = SFX] - **HumanName.suffix**: v2 Mapping: XPN/4 - **HumanName.period**: RIM Mapping: ./usablePeriod[type="IVL"] - **HumanName.period**: v2 Mapping: XPN.13 + XPN.14 - **HumanName.period**: ServD Mapping: ./StartDate and ./EndDate