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Help[Facts] Initials (prefix last names)
What are your initials if your last name has a prefix?
e.g.
Von Ditt, O'Malley, van der Bilt, de Canto, Ben Ali, LeBoeuf etc
--
What are their initials?
Hella Kristina von Ditt
Darragh Brian O'Malley
Laurie Stella van der Bilt
Noè Agustino de Canto
Hanifa Shaima Ben Ali
Janvier Paul LeBoeuf
e.g.
Von Ditt, O'Malley, van der Bilt, de Canto, Ben Ali, LeBoeuf etc
--
What are their initials?
Hella Kristina von Ditt
Darragh Brian O'Malley
Laurie Stella van der Bilt
Noè Agustino de Canto
Hanifa Shaima Ben Ali
Janvier Paul LeBoeuf
2
Replies
It depends on the language.
In Portuguese, particles (de, do, da, e) do not count regarding initials. They are basically connecting elements between names, and are often omitted. For example, in a phone list or a list of references, "Luís de Camões" would be listed under C (Camões, Luís de). He would be adressed as "senhor Camões", never "senhor de Camões").
However, with the introduction of IT systems, particles are often counted when names are ordered automatically. For this reason, that nowadays many alphabetically-ordered lists could look like this:
1. António da Silva Pereira (ADSP)
2. António Esteves Santos (AES)
3. António Silva Gomes (ASG)
While traditionally, it would be something like:
1. António Esteves Santos (AES)
2. António Silva Gomes (ASG)
3. António da Silva Pereira (ASP)
I should mention that outside of phonebooks and academic citations, Portuguese people are always listed alphabetically using their full names in order (i.e. first name(s) followed by surnames). Examples: school lists, public competitions, voting registrations, etc. So you would find Luís de Camões under the letter L.
In Portuguese, particles (de, do, da, e) do not count regarding initials. They are basically connecting elements between names, and are often omitted. For example, in a phone list or a list of references, "Luís de Camões" would be listed under C (Camões, Luís de). He would be adressed as "senhor Camões", never "senhor de Camões").
However, with the introduction of IT systems, particles are often counted when names are ordered automatically. For this reason, that nowadays many alphabetically-ordered lists could look like this:
1. António da Silva Pereira (ADSP)
2. António Esteves Santos (AES)
3. António Silva Gomes (ASG)
While traditionally, it would be something like:
1. António Esteves Santos (AES)
2. António Silva Gomes (ASG)
3. António da Silva Pereira (ASP)
I should mention that outside of phonebooks and academic citations, Portuguese people are always listed alphabetically using their full names in order (i.e. first name(s) followed by surnames). Examples: school lists, public competitions, voting registrations, etc. So you would find Luís de Camões under the letter L.
This message was edited 9/22/2021, 2:31 PM
2
Different languages (and/or different countries) use different conventions. In South Africa, Laurie Stella van der Bilt's initials would be LSvdB, but if she was being cited as an author, ln only therefore, it'd be VdB; for instance "... see also VdB 2017" in a text reference. In a bibliography, same thing: Van der Bilt, LS. 2017. (and then the title). Usually the place of publication OR the convention being followed results in one system being applied in a given text. Some publishing houses have their own ideas too, and so do some universities. It's a minefield, frankly.
3