---
id: nameparser
version: "2.1.0"
license: LGPL
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: active
---

# nameparser — A simple Python module for parsing human names into their individual components.

License: copyleft · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 3.1M/mo

## What it is and what it does

nameparser is a Python library that breaks down human names into their constituent parts—title, given name, middle name, family name, suffix, nickname, and maiden name. It handles complex naming conventions across multiple languages and scripts, including East Asian names (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) written in their native characters, as well as names with particles (like 'de la'), honorifics, and patronymics. The library returns immutable parsed results and supports opt-in locale packs for language-specific rules.

The package is designed for applications that need to normalize, store, or process names programmatically. It offers both a Python API and a command-line interface. Version 2.1 added East Asian support; the 2.x series maintains backward compatibility with 1.x code through a compatibility layer, though some breaking changes exist. It has no external dependencies, making it lightweight to install.

Use it for:

- Extract and normalize name components in contact management or CRM systems.
- Parse names from forms or user input to populate structured database fields.
- Handle multilingual name data in international applications, especially East Asian names.
- Render names in different formats (e.g., 'Last, First') for display or export.
- Validate and split unspaced Korean names using census surname lists.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Parses human names into seven structured fields—title, given, middle, family, suffix, nickname, maiden—with support for multiple scripts including East Asian names, and provides immutable results with composable configuration.

Yes. nameparser is stable (Production/Stable status), actively maintained, has zero known vulnerabilities, and solves a real problem with no external dependencies. The LGPL license is permissive for most use cases. Install it if you need to parse or normalize human names, especially in multilingual contexts. Review the 2.0 migration guide if upgrading from 1.x, as some breaking changes exist.

## Install

pip install nameparser
uv add nameparser
poetry add nameparser

## Installing nameparser

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Active maintenance—released 7 days ago. Requires Python 3.11+.

License in practice: LGPL copyleft: you may use and modify freely, but derivative works must also be licensed under LGPL or compatible terms. Suitable for open-source projects; review your licensing obligations if bundling into proprietary software.

Quickstart:

pip install nameparser

from nameparser import parse
name = parse("Dr. Juan Q. Xavier de la Vega III (Doc Vega)")
print(name.family, name.given, name.title)
# Output: de la Vega Juan Dr.

Requires Python 3.11 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether East Asian name parsing accuracy meets your specific use case (Chinese, Japanese, Korean scripts).
- Performance characteristics when parsing large batches of names.
- Behavior with non-Latin scripts beyond those documented (Arabic, Cyrillic examples shown but full coverage unclear).

## Package facts

- License: LGPL (copyleft)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 3.1M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

parse human names into components, name parsing library, extract given family name, multilingual name parser, East Asian name parsing, name field extraction, human name parser, multilingual, name-parsing, data-normalization

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