Capitalizing personal names

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Personal names

Treat a person's name - in terms of capitalization, spelling, punctuation and spacing - exactly as the person does.

In medical transcription, it's important to remember that there are many ways of spelling a name, regardless of how it sounds phonetically. Always make sure the spelling is correct. Most people are annoyed when their name is misspelled, and patient databases require consistent spelling so information doesn't get misplaced.

Alice Mayer
Alyce Meier
Steven J. Dougherty, Jr.
Stephen J. Daughtry Jr.
Suzanna de la Cruz
Susana della Cruz

In names containing the prefix O', always capitalize the O and the letter following the apostrophe.

O'Bryan
O'Halloran

Watch for differences in capitalization and spacing in names containing prefixes like d', da, de, della, di, etc.

D'Amelio, Damelio
LaCosta?, La Costa, Lacoste
Vandekamp, van de Kamp, Van de Kamp

When a surname with an uncapitalized prefix stands alone (that is, without a first name, a title or initials preceding it), capitalize the prefix to prevent a misreading.

The patient's name is Vincent de Paul.
The patient's name is Mr. de Paul.
The patient's name is V. de Paul.
The patient's name is De Paul.

If there is no risk of misreading; for example, the person's name is well known, it's not necessary to capitalize the prefix except at the beginning of a sentence.

Charles de Gaulle served for many years...
When he retired, de Gaulle...
De Gaulle served for many years as...