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{{subcat guideline|editing guideline|Categorization|WP:NAMESORT|WP:LISTAS}}
'''''Second, ammended version of co-ordinated policy description - please add POV to discussion page, not here before consensus has been reached.'''''
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}}


{{main|Misplaced Pages:Categorization|Misplaced Pages:Biographies of living persons|Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions (people)}}
----
{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Category names#Categorization of people|Category:People}}


== Ordering names in a category ==
''This is a ] article, "Categorization" section, proposed for approval via the ] page''
It is possible to change the default order in which the articles in a Category are displayed on the Category: page. For general instructions and conventions about this, see {{section link|Misplaced Pages:Categorization#Sort keys}}. Note that there are two techniques for defining a sort order different from the sort order that would result from the page name:
# Adding <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>]:{{var|category sort key here}}<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> in the article sets the category sort key for all categories without sort keys in that article, before or after it.
# Per listed category, overriding the DEFAULTSORT, <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>


The sort key should mirror the article's title as closely as possible, while omitting disambiguating terms. Some exceptions are made, however, to force correct collation.
==Special Misplaced Pages features for categorizing people==


Please note that some named individual animal have titles included in the article name (for example, ], a dog with a formal military rank) and are therefore subject to this guideline.
===People by year===
See ] for categorizaton by year of birth/death.


===Sort by surname===
==When creating a category that can be used for articles on people==
{{Shortcut|WP:SUR}}
<!-- Suspended the following paragraph for the time being:
If the article is titled "Forename Surname", the category should be added to the article as <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code> (or: <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Surname, Forename}}</nowiki></code>) so that it will be sorted by ] (surname and ] are used interchangeably in this article). However, there are exceptions depending on customs, where a person lives and when they lived. If the country is not listed, try consulting with ''Names of persons : national usages for entry in catalogue'' in ]. It is a resource for how librarians and institutions inside their respective country sort names. However, the sort value may be inappropriate outside their country.<ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=IX–XI}}</ref>
"It's good practice to only create categories only when you already know of several articles that would be placed therein -- if there's only a handful of articles, then an extra category is likely counterproductive. After creating the category add as many relevant articles to it as you can -- it's probably bad form to create a category but leave the task of populating it wholly to others!"
* ] or ] historically had no family or given names, but a full chain of names. These names should be sorted as they are written out. However, after 1900, Arabic names became similar in structure to those of Western names, and these should be sorted as if they were Western names. Certain areas form exceptions: for example, in Malaysia, Islamic names follow a patronymic pattern, as do a subset in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.<ref name="Arabic names">{{cite journal | url=http://www.theindexer.org/files/25-3/25-3-cp2_009.pdf | title=Arabic names | last=Hedden | first=Heather | date=April 2007 | journal=The Indexer | volume=25 | accessdate=January 11, 2012 | issue=3 }}</ref><ref name="18.74">{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.74}}</ref>
* it's not "categorization of people"-specific, so it should go on "wikipedia:categorization" and not here;
** Modern names with '']'', '']'', ''Abdel'', '' ]'', '']'', ''bin'' and ''bint'' are considered compound names and particles are integral to the name. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Bin Laden, Osama}}</nowiki></code>. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdel Nour, Mounir Fakhry}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name="Arabic names" /><ref name="18.74" />
* before it is put there, consider however that a vote is going on about this on "wikipedia talk:categories for deletion", that doesn't show up till now that there would be an established consensus about the advise given in this paragraph.-->
* ] have no surnames or patronymic system, therefore they are sorted as they are written. However, if the person's common name includes an ], the name should be sorted with the elements succeeding the honorific.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.75}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=155–158}}</ref> ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Thant, U}}</nowiki></code>.
* ], ], ] and ] are generally written with the family name first: ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Zedong}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://www.theindexer.org/files/25-4/25-4-cp3_012.pdf | title=Asian names | last=Akhtar | first=Nasreen | date=April 1989 | journal=The Indexer | volume=16 | accessdate=January 10, 2012 | issue=3 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|3p=18.76}}</ref>
* ] names that use a patronymic system are sorted as they are written.<ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=64–65}}</ref>
* ] are generally ] and occasionally matronymic, with a person's last name derived from their father's or mother's given name. For example, ] is the son of ]. Normally a patronymic name is sorted as it is written.<ref name="IFLA 88–90">{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=88–90}}</ref> However, on English Misplaced Pages, the DEFAULTSORT value is Western order, overridden for Icelandic categories, where the sort key is as the name is written. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Indridason, Arnaldur}}</nowiki></code>, while the Icelandic category of photographers is done, <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>. For the <code>listas=</code> parameter in project templates on article talk pages use the DEFAULTSORT value (since it mainly categorises in non-Icelandic categories), e.g., <code>| listas = Indridason, Arnaldur</code>.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Iceland/Archive_3#Sort_keys_for_Icelandic_names | title=Sort keys for Icelandic names | publisher=Misplaced Pages | work=WikiProject Iceland | date=January 2011 | accessdate=January 17, 2011}}</ref>
* ] may be sorted by surname or in the order they are written depending on the ] of the individual. ]s (the most populous ethnic group in Indonesia) do not generally have surnames and may be sorted in the order they are written.
* ] for people born after 1885 follow Western order. For people born before 1885, names followed the same practice as Chinese names.<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://www.theindexer.org/files/26-2/26-2-cp4_002.pdf | title=Japanese names | last=Power | first=John | date=June 2008 | journal=The Indexer | volume=26 | accessdate=January 10, 2012 | issue=2 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.80}}</ref><ref name="IFLA Japan">{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=118–120}}</ref>
** There are exceptions. ] wrestlers, ]s, ] actors, and practitioners of traditional crafts and arts may take professional names. These names follow the same practice as Chinese names. Sumo wrestler ]'s sort value is <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Toyohibiki, Ryuta}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name="IFLA Japan" />
* ] names usually use a patronymic system and are sorted as they are written. There are exceptions; most notably, Malaysian Chinese names are handled as regular Chinese names.<ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=145–149}}</ref>
* ] (Portugal only) are commonly composed of one or two ]s, and two ]. In a compound family name, the first name is the mother's maiden name, with the second name being the father's surname. These names should be sorted on the last element or the father's name. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomes, Francisco da Costa}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.81}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=185–186}}</ref>
* ] are similar to Portuguese names in that they are commonly composed of one or two ]s, and two ]. However, in a compound family name, the first name is the father's name, while the second name is the mother's name. The sort value depends on how many names are in the articles title. For ], with two family names and one given name, the sort is <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Marquez, Gabriel}}</nowiki></code>. For ], with two family names and two given names, the sort is <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Hamilton, Jose Ignacio}}</nowiki></code>. Be careful, as the article's title may include any combination of given names and family names.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.82}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=211–213}}</ref>
* ] have only contained a family name since 1915 and the name follows the western pattern of "given name, family name". However, people in Thailand are known and addressed by their given name. In categories mostly containing articles about Thai people, all names should be sorted with the given name first. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=232–234}}</ref> That the entries in a category are sorted in this way for this reason should be indicated on the category page, for which the {{tl|Thai people category}} template can be used. Thai names in categories which only contain relatively few such names should, in these categories, be sorted without applying the "sort by given name before family" exception, which only applies to categories which dominantly contain Thai names and which are entirely sorted the Thai way. ] is now maintaining sort keys in Thai-people categories.
* Most Muslim ] before 1934 had no surname. After 1934, people adopted surnames.<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://www.theindexer.org/files/25-3/25-3-cp2_005.pdf | title=Turkish names | last=Alakas | first=Meral | date=April 2007 | journal=The Indexer | volume=25 | accessdate=January 11, 2012 | issue=3 }}</ref>


=== Historical patronymic names ===
As a general recommendation for categories on people, prefer to have the category names as gender-neutral as possible.
The patronymic system was once common throughout Europe and in some parts of the world. See ] for the list of systems used in each country. Patronymic names should be sorted on their first name. The following is to distinguish how to sort the relevant historical people in some of the more common languages:
* ] (] and ]) with the ending ''-ovich'', ''-ovych'', ''-yevich'', ''-yich'' are used to form patronymics for men. For women, the endings are ''-yevna'', ''-yivna'', ''-ovna'', ''ivna'' or ''-ichna''. For example, in Russian, a man named Ivan with a father named Nikolay would be known as Ivan Nikolayevich or 'Ivan, son of Nikolay'.
* ] were formed by using ''Mac'' for "son of", ''Ó'' or ''Ua'' for "grandson of", ''Ní'' for "daughter of the grandson of", ''Nic'' for "daughter of the son of" and finally, ''Uí'' for "wife of the grandson of". The transition to fixed surnames began around 1000 and was completed after 1200. An example would be ], son of ].
* ] were formed by using ''ben'' or ''bar'' for "son of" and ''bat'' for "daughter of". Permanent surnames started in the ] around 1000 and spread eastward over the next 700 years.<ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=108–110}}</ref>
* ] (], ] and ]) were formed by using the ending ''son'', ''søn'', ''sen'' to indicate "son of", and ''dóttir'', ''-dotter'', ''datter'' for "daughter of". Denmark outlawed the patronymic system in 1828, Sweden in 1901 and Norway in 1923. However, the countries started to abandon the patronymic system much earlier. The nobility and academics started using surnames in the mid 1500s, the middle class around 1700, with most people having surnames in the 1800s. An example of a patronymic name would be ], the son of ]. See also the section about Icelandic names above.
* ] began using fixed surnames around the 12th century, though the practice continued in some areas until the 1700s. In the Gaelic language, the word meaning son is ''mac''. The word meaning daughter is ''nic''. ] was the son of ] and is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Coluim Mac Donnchada}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?560 | title=Scottish Surnames and Variants | publisher=Scotland | work=Scotland's people | accessdate=January 10, 2012}}</ref>
* ]s before the 1536 ] were mostly patronymic, but people had begun to use fixed surnames for over 100 years. The patronymic practice continued after 1536 and is still used today. In the Welsh language, the word meaning son is ''ap'' or ''ab''. The word meaning daughter is ''merch'' or ''verch'' (modern spelling ''ferch''). ] was the son of ] and is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhiryd Ap Bleddyn}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://www.theindexer.org/files/17-1/17-1_012.pdf | title=The Indexing of Welsh personal names | last=Moore | first=Donald | date=April 1990 | journal=The Indexer | volume=17 | accessdate=January 10, 2012 | issue=1 }}</ref>


===Nobility===
:'''''Example''': instead of a category for "Kings" and a different category for "Queens" there exists the category of ].''
{{Shortcut|WP:PEERS}}
* Kings, queens, emperors, emirs, sultans, popes and others known by their official names should be sorted as spelled out. An ordinal number is converted to an Arabic numeral with a leading zero. ]'s sort value is <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Louis 09 of France}}</nowiki></code>. In some cases, you can leave off redundant information in a category, <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.37}}</ref>
* European princes and princesses are sorted by their given name. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:William, Prince of Wales}}</nowiki></code>. Because of the prevalence of princes with the same name, Arabic or Muslim princes are sorted by their given name, but a second name (usually their father's given name preceding bin or ibn) is added. Prince ], whose father is ], is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Talal Bin Abdul-Aziz}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name="Arabic names" /><ref name="18.38">{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.38}}</ref>
* ] are sorted by name of the title rather than surname, e.g. ] is alphabetized under "Salisbury", not "Gascoyne-Cecil" or "Cecil": <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name="18.38" />
* Some peers are almost invariably known by some name other than their peerage (which will not, in such cases, appear in the article title); for example, ] (who was 2nd Earl of Guilford) or ] (who was 1st Earl of Avon). This should be followed for most categories, sorting them under ''North,...'' and ''Eden,...''; but categories directly relating to the peerage should still sort them under it. <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>, respectively.
* Unless necessary for identification, ''Sir'', ''Dame'', ''Lord'' and ''Lady'' should be omitted from the sort value.<ref name="18.38" />


===Other exceptions===
Other than that, please consider the following, depending on case:
{{Shortcut|WP:SORTJR|WP:MCSTJR}}<!--Mnemonic: "McSaint Jr."-->
* Eliminate ]: e.g. "Saint" in ]: <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>.
* ] (e.g., "Jr." or "III"), should be placed at the end of the sort key, rather than with the surname: ] sorts as <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>, not {{!mxt|<nowiki>]</nowiki>}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.41}}</ref>
* Only hyphens, apostrophes and periods/full stops punctuation marks should be kept in sort values. All other punctuation marks should be removed. The only exception is the apostrophe should be removed for names beginning with O'. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:ONeill, Eugene}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.72}}</ref>
* Clerical titles, academic titles, military titles and ] should not be used in sorting. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Martin Luther Jr.}}</nowiki></code> and without the titles "Doctor" or "Reverend", for his academic and clerical achievements.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.39}}</ref>
* Surnames beginning with ''Mac'' or ''Mc'' are sorted as they are spelled. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:MacArthur, Douglas}}</nowiki></code> and ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:McDowell, Malcolm}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.71}}</ref> This is also British standard (BS 3700:1988)<ref>{{Harvnb|Butcher's copy-editing|2006|p=195}}</ref> and ]:1996 standard for preparing indexes.
* Names with particles or prefixes are a complex field and there are exceptions and inconsistencies. Examples of particles are ''af'', ''al'', ''dall'', ''da'', ''de'', ''della'', ''di'', ''do'', ''dos'', ''du'', ''el'', ''la'', ''o'', and ''von''. Whether or not to include the particle in sorting can be up to the individual's personal preference, traditional cultural usage or the customs of one's nationality.
** Generally, ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] names do not include lowercase particles in sorting, but do include uppercase particles. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Bismarck, Otto von}}</nowiki></code>, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:La Fontaine, Jean de}}</nowiki></code>, and ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Di Chiara, Alberto}}</nowiki></code>.
** American, Australian, Canadian, and English names generally sort on the prefix, regardless of capitalization. However, there are discrepancies between different sources on whether to sort on the prefix or not.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chicago Manual of Style|2003|p=18.69}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=252–253}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Indexing Books|2005|p=169}}</ref>{{clarify|date=November 2018|reason=We don't care. The purpose of this page is to provide sorting advice, not write an article about how others out in the world do sorting. See talk page.}}
** In ], ]/] and ]/] names sort differently by time period. For people in the ] (Belgium) before 1830, surnames are sorted on the body of the surname and not on the ]. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Weyden, Rogier van der}}</nowiki></code> and ] <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Lairesse, Gerard de}}</nowiki></code>. In contrast, Belgian people since 1830 are sorted on the prefix. For example: ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Ostaijen, Paul}}</nowiki></code> and ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:De Duve, Christian}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name=pitchford>{{cite journal | url=http://theindexer.org/files/25-2/25-2-cp1_011.pdf | title=Dutch, German, Austrian, Flemish and Afrikaans names | first=Jacqueline | last=Pitchford | journal=The Indexer | volume=25 | issue=2 | date=October 2006 | accessdate=January 17, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=Harvnb29>{{Harvnb|IFLA|1996|pp=29–31}}</ref>
** In ] and ], Dutch/] and German surnames are sorted by prefix, e.g. ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:De Klerk, F. W.}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name=pitchford/><ref name=Harvnb29/>
** In modern Arabic or Islamic names, the prefixes '']'' and ''el'', regardless of capitalization, are never part of a family name for indexing. For example, ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Muwallad, Osama}}</nowiki></code> and ] is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamhawi, Ezzat}}</nowiki></code>.<ref name="Arabic names" /><ref name="18.74"/>
** Sometimes the name containing the prefix is not a family name, but a description of where the person is from. In these cases, the sort value is how the entire name is spelled. For ], "de Corbiac" is a description where Peire is from, the town of Corbiac. So, the name means 'Peire of or from Corbiac' and is sorted <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Peire de Corbiac}}</nowiki></code>.
* Sometimes a given name is combined with neither a surname nor a peerage title; it is preferable to sort on the first name in these cases. Example: for ], use <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code> or simply <code><nowiki>]</nowiki></code>.
* Some people are known primarily by their first name only. When it is not possible to set the first name alone as the article title, as with many articles in ], you should sort with the first name first to make the article easier to find in the categories. For example, ] is commonly known as Leonardo, and should be sorted as <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonardo Araujo}}</nowiki></code>.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Football/Archive_56#DEFAULTSORT | title=Defaultsort | publisher=Misplaced Pages | work=WikiProject Football | date=June 2011 | accessdate=January 17, 2012}}</ref>


==References==
=== "Business Card" categories ===
{{reflist|3}}


==Bibliography==
A "Business Card" type category is a category that is named after whatever people could in reality have on their business card.
* {{Cite book | ref=CITEREFButcher's_copy-editing2006 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LT1r8VE4E80C | title=Butcher's copy-editing: the Cambridge handbook for editors, copy-editors and proofreaders | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2006 | edition=4th | first1=Judith | last1=Butcher | first2=Caroline | last2=Drake | first3=Maureen | last3=Leach | isbn=0-521-84713-3 | accessdate=January 12, 2012}}
* {{Cite book | ref=CITEREFChicago_Manual_of_Style2003 | url=http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/CHIIndexingComplete.pdf | title=Indexes - A chapter from the Chicago Manual of Style | publisher=University of Chicago Press | year=2003 | edition=15th | isbn=0-226-10406-0 | accessdate=January 11, 2012}}
* {{Cite book | ref=CITEREFIFLA1996 | url=https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/cataloguing/pubs/names-of-persons_1996.pdf | title=Names of persons : national usages for entry in catalogue | publisher=K. G. Saur | place=Munich; New Providence; London; Paris | year=1996 | edition=4th revised and enlarged | series=UBCIM publications ; new series, vol. 16 | editor=] (IFLA) | isbn=3-598-11342-0 | accessdate=January 10, 2012}}
* {{Cite book | ref={{SfnRef|Indexing Books|2005}} | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G0Eqm8FbiTMC | title=Indexing Books | publisher=University of Chicago Press | year=2005 | edition=2nd | last1=Mulvany | first1=Nancy C. | isbn=0-226-55276-4 | accessdate=January 17, 2012}}


{{Misplaced Pages categorization navbox}}
:'''''Examples''': "Carpenter" -> category name: "Carpenters", "Architect" -> category name: "Architects", etc...''


]
Usually "Business Card" categories are not different from other categories, see ] - and try to position the category on a suitable place in the ].
]

=== Categories for persons, other than "Business Card" categories ===

''Assume'' the newly created category is not problematic

... but try to avoid following pitfalls:

* Stigmatizing names: some categories can be used in a stigmatizing way: always try to find the most neutral and/or generic name.
:'''''Example''': "prostitutes" is a better name for a category than "whores". "Sex workers" might maybe work even better for a category name, while more gender-neutral and better approaching "Business Card" style.

* Consider whether ]:
** for very sensitive material (''e.g. racial or religious categorizations of people'')
** for trivia (''e.g. "dog owners" etc...'', see also ])
** for categories whose members would require frequent notes to explain the reasons for each inclusion.

:''Wikipedians are divided whether categories can be used for such topics, and might propose it for deletion. Nonetheless: always follow your own gut instinct in this matter.''

* Names that are too long or too short: generally short, clear names are preferred for categories. For non-"Business Card" categories it is possible to deviate from this principle for neutrality and clarity reasons, but don't exaggerate on length or complexity of category names.

* Unclear category definition: It is generally preferable that the category definition (on the category page) tries to exclude vague and/or non-] cases. In many cases, only referencing to a wikipedia article explaining the term is not sufficient as a definition for a non-Business Card category. If the article you want to use as definition is problematic in itself, consider improving the article. Otherwise, or if that is not sufficient, write a definition of what goes in and what goes out of the category on the category page, with the reference article(s) as background information.

:'''''Example''': "Atheist" can be used as an offensive term (like people living under a ] are still today often called atheist by their condemnors, irrespective whether they consider themselves atheist or not). Some of the vague (and non-NPOV) edges of an "Atheists" category are about whether or not to include ]; about the unclear distinction between "strong" and "weak" atheism (see ] article), about whether only outspoken followers of atheistic beliefs should be named or everyone generally considered to be an "Atheist"... see ] for how this is tackled by the category definition up till now.''

:'''''Example''' (compare to prostitutes/sex workers example given above): when comparing the ] and ] articles it might appear that "sex workers" would give more category definition problems than "prostitutes": up till now there is only a ], containing some people names, but that would not be a solution in the long run.''

From the examples given above follows that finding a good category name for sensitive people-related topics is not a "mathematical" science, but relies on good taste, and more than often on a bit of creativity to find a good solution that satisfies all.

== When assigning categories to articles on people ==

===Business Card categories===

'''Apply correctly''', i.e. like for categorization in general.

Be however aware that mis-categorizations are more sensitive for articles on persons than for articles on other topics.
: '''''Example''': categorizing a politician in a "circus artists" category would give much more controversy than applying the "circus artists" category to whatever animal.''

===Non-"Business Card" categories===

* '''No automated category assignation''': categories of the non-"Business Card" type can only be assigned as the result of an individual assessment of the content of an article (lists are easier in this sense, while a doubtful assignation can be marked). See also ] for a general discussion of the disadvantages of robotized operations.
* Note that for some "sensitive" categories it is better to think of the category as a set of representative and unquestioned examples, while a list is more an attempt at completeness (using the <nowiki>{{expand list}}</nowiki> tag as long as it is incomplete). This implies that especially for "sensitive" categories lists can be used as a complement to categorization.
* Always check afterwards (i.e. after saving the article) whether the categorization strikes you as offensive or indelicate. The wikipedia system allows anybody to edit the article and remove a questionable categorization. In order to avoid that, follow your intuition in finding those categories you think most to the point an inoffensive. Rather create a new category that serves better what you want to communicate, than use an existing category that is (partly) inconsistent with the content of the article. Improving category definitions might also help in this stage.
* Try to limit the number of categories to what is most essential about this person, something in the vein of: ''"give me 4 or 5 words that best characterise this person"''.

==When reading the encyclopedia and experiencing a categorization as problematic==

===A "Business Card" type category===

Probably the problem is only an "incorrect" categorization: remove the category and/or apply a more correct category to the article.

If nonetheless the categorization is both "correct" and "Business Card style", but still experienced as problematic, list it here:
# ]: see discussion going on at ] (topic of 10 september 2004) - ]]. See also ]
# ...

===A non-"Business Card" type category===

* Accuracy:
** If a category assignation is factually incorrect, remove the category from the article and replace it (if applicable) with a correct category.
** If the category name has an obvious typo, or has an obvious and unneccessary redundancy with another existing category, do what you should do with any other category in such case.
* Appropriateness - other improvements:
** If the problem is not about accuracy, but about an "(in)appropriateness" for a single article to be in this category, you can remove that categorization from that article, but also consider the following:
*** check whether you can solve (part of) the problem by making (a) better category definition(s);
*** if still needed, find/create a more appropriate category, for re-categorizing this single article.
** If it seems clear to you that there are more articles to which this category is applied "inappropriately", add the <nowiki>{{SCD}}</nowiki> dispute notice to the bottom of the text of the category description. Allow some time for this notice to take effect - possibly help with some manual recategorization (if you are familiar with the topics of the articles to which this categorization was applied). Remove the "dispute notice" after some time, if the use of this category seems OK again.
** If you have a proposition for a better name for the category and/or a proposal for a wider re-arrangement of the categorization scheme and/or if you see a more general contradiction with wikipedia ] regarding this category, participate in and/or post new discussions on the discussion page of the category. Consider whether you can invite more people that might be interested, to take part in the discussion, e.g. by leaving messages on their user talk pages (check e.g. discussion page of the category and history tabs to find out who might be concerned by this category - also try to contact project people if the category is part of one or more wikipedia ]).
** If there's no agreement within a week or so: you're in the middle of a conflict-like situation: see ] for what to do next. When reaching the "voting" (or "poll") step, ] is the usual platform to proceed with such vote.

<!-- what follows is repeat of what is on "dispute resolution" page (except where what follows is in direct contradiction with that page), so for the time being deemed unneccessary here:
"Strive for consensus.
Polls can be used to determine the best course of action.
* If there's no response at all in a reasonable amount at time, feel free to add a problematic category to be deleted at ], or else to implement your proposed categorization scheme. Offer your suggestions for a better category name and hear comments and suggestion. If people have no disagreement, go through with implementing your proposal!"
I propose this kind of changes to the article to be discussed on the discussion page of this article first, that is: if there is more than one person likely to find this a good change.
-->

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Latest revision as of 02:52, 17 August 2024

Blue tickThis page documents an English Misplaced Pages editing guideline.
Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page.		Shortcuts

Main pages: Misplaced Pages:Categorization, Misplaced Pages:Biographies of living persons, and Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions (people) See also: Misplaced Pages:Category names § Categorization of people, and Category:People

Ordering names in a category

It is possible to change the default order in which the articles in a Category are displayed on the Category: page. For general instructions and conventions about this, see Misplaced Pages:Categorization § Sort keys. Note that there are two techniques for defining a sort order different from the sort order that would result from the page name:

  1. Adding {{DEFAULTSORT:category sort key here}} in the article sets the category sort key for all categories without sort keys in that article, before or after it.
  2. Per listed category, overriding the DEFAULTSORT, ]

The sort key should mirror the article's title as closely as possible, while omitting disambiguating terms. Some exceptions are made, however, to force correct collation.

Please note that some named individual animal have titles included in the article name (for example, Sergeant Stubby, a dog with a formal military rank) and are therefore subject to this guideline.

Sort by surname

Shortcut

If the article is titled "Forename Surname", the category should be added to the article as ] (or: {{DEFAULTSORT:Surname, Forename}}) so that it will be sorted by surname (surname and family name are used interchangeably in this article). However, there are exceptions depending on customs, where a person lives and when they lived. If the country is not listed, try consulting with Names of persons : national usages for entry in catalogue in the bibliography section. It is a resource for how librarians and institutions inside their respective country sort names. However, the sort value may be inappropriate outside their country.

  • Arabic names or Islamic names historically had no family or given names, but a full chain of names. These names should be sorted as they are written out. However, after 1900, Arabic names became similar in structure to those of Western names, and these should be sorted as if they were Western names. Certain areas form exceptions: for example, in Malaysia, Islamic names follow a patronymic pattern, as do a subset in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
    • Modern names with Abu, Abd, Abdel, Abdul, ben, bin and bint are considered compound names and particles are integral to the name. Osama bin Laden is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Bin Laden, Osama}}. Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Abdel Nour, Mounir Fakhry}}.
  • Burmese names have no surnames or patronymic system, therefore they are sorted as they are written. However, if the person's common name includes an honorific, the name should be sorted with the elements succeeding the honorific. U Thant is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Thant, U}}.
  • Chinese names, Korean names, Vietnamese names and Cambodian names are generally written with the family name first: Mao Zedong is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Zedong}}.
  • Eritrean and Ethiopian (Habesha) names that use a patronymic system are sorted as they are written.
  • Icelandic names are generally patronymic and occasionally matronymic, with a person's last name derived from their father's or mother's given name. For example, Arnaldur Indriðason is the son of Indriði G. Þorsteinsson. Normally a patronymic name is sorted as it is written. However, on English Misplaced Pages, the DEFAULTSORT value is Western order, overridden for Icelandic categories, where the sort key is as the name is written. Arnaldur Indriðason is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Indridason, Arnaldur}}, while the Icelandic category of photographers is done, ]. For the listas= parameter in project templates on article talk pages use the DEFAULTSORT value (since it mainly categorises in non-Icelandic categories), e.g., | listas = Indridason, Arnaldur.
  • Indonesian names may be sorted by surname or in the order they are written depending on the Ethnic background of the individual. Javanese names (the most populous ethnic group in Indonesia) do not generally have surnames and may be sorted in the order they are written.
  • Japanese names for people born after 1885 follow Western order. For people born before 1885, names followed the same practice as Chinese names.
    • There are exceptions. Sumo wrestlers, geishas, kabuki actors, and practitioners of traditional crafts and arts may take professional names. These names follow the same practice as Chinese names. Sumo wrestler Toyohibiki Ryūta's sort value is {{DEFAULTSORT:Toyohibiki, Ryuta}}.
  • Malaysian names usually use a patronymic system and are sorted as they are written. There are exceptions; most notably, Malaysian Chinese names are handled as regular Chinese names.
  • Portuguese names (Portugal only) are commonly composed of one or two given names, and two family names. In a compound family name, the first name is the mother's maiden name, with the second name being the father's surname. These names should be sorted on the last element or the father's name. Francisco da Costa Gomes is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Gomes, Francisco da Costa}}.
  • Spanish names are similar to Portuguese names in that they are commonly composed of one or two given names, and two family names. However, in a compound family name, the first name is the father's name, while the second name is the mother's name. The sort value depends on how many names are in the articles title. For Gabriel García Márquez, with two family names and one given name, the sort is {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Marquez, Gabriel}}. For José Ignacio García Hamilton, with two family names and two given names, the sort is {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Hamilton, Jose Ignacio}}. Be careful, as the article's title may include any combination of given names and family names.
  • Thai names have only contained a family name since 1915 and the name follows the western pattern of "given name, family name". However, people in Thailand are known and addressed by their given name. In categories mostly containing articles about Thai people, all names should be sorted with the given name first. For example, Thaksin Shinawatra is sorted ]. That the entries in a category are sorted in this way for this reason should be indicated on the category page, for which the {{Thai people category}} template can be used. Thai names in categories which only contain relatively few such names should, in these categories, be sorted without applying the "sort by given name before family" exception, which only applies to categories which dominantly contain Thai names and which are entirely sorted the Thai way. user:cewbot is now maintaining sort keys in Thai-people categories.
  • Most Muslim Turkish names before 1934 had no surname. After 1934, people adopted surnames.

Historical patronymic names

The patronymic system was once common throughout Europe and in some parts of the world. See Patronymic for the list of systems used in each country. Patronymic names should be sorted on their first name. The following is to distinguish how to sort the relevant historical people in some of the more common languages:

  • East Slavic languages (Russian and Ukrainian) with the ending -ovich, -ovych, -yevich, -yich are used to form patronymics for men. For women, the endings are -yevna, -yivna, -ovna, ivna or -ichna. For example, in Russian, a man named Ivan with a father named Nikolay would be known as Ivan Nikolayevich or 'Ivan, son of Nikolay'.
  • Irish names were formed by using Mac for "son of", Ó or Ua for "grandson of", Ní for "daughter of the grandson of", Nic for "daughter of the son of" and finally, Uí for "wife of the grandson of". The transition to fixed surnames began around 1000 and was completed after 1200. An example would be Ailill mac Dúnlainge, son of Dúnlaing mac Muiredaig.
  • Jewish names were formed by using ben or bar for "son of" and bat for "daughter of". Permanent surnames started in the Iberian Peninsula around 1000 and spread eastward over the next 700 years.
  • Scandinavian names (Danish, Swedish and Norwegian) were formed by using the ending son, søn, sen to indicate "son of", and dóttir, -dotter, datter for "daughter of". Denmark outlawed the patronymic system in 1828, Sweden in 1901 and Norway in 1923. However, the countries started to abandon the patronymic system much earlier. The nobility and academics started using surnames in the mid 1500s, the middle class around 1700, with most people having surnames in the 1800s. An example of a patronymic name would be Sverker Karlsson, the son of Karl Sverkersson. See also the section about Icelandic names above.
  • Scottish names began using fixed surnames around the 12th century, though the practice continued in some areas until the 1700s. In the Gaelic language, the word meaning son is mac. The word meaning daughter is nic. Máel Coluim mac Donnchada was the son of Donnchad mac Crínáin and is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Coluim Mac Donnchada}}.
  • Welsh names before the 1536 Act of Union were mostly patronymic, but people had begun to use fixed surnames for over 100 years. The patronymic practice continued after 1536 and is still used today. In the Welsh language, the word meaning son is ap or ab. The word meaning daughter is merch or verch (modern spelling ferch). Rhiryd ap Bleddyn was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhiryd Ap Bleddyn}}.

Nobility

Shortcut
  • Kings, queens, emperors, emirs, sultans, popes and others known by their official names should be sorted as spelled out. An ordinal number is converted to an Arabic numeral with a leading zero. Louis IX of France's sort value is {{DEFAULTSORT:Louis 09 of France}}. In some cases, you can leave off redundant information in a category, ].
  • European princes and princesses are sorted by their given name. Prince William is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:William, Prince of Wales}}. Because of the prevalence of princes with the same name, Arabic or Muslim princes are sorted by their given name, but a second name (usually their father's given name preceding bin or ibn) is added. Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, whose father is King Abdul-Aziz, is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Talal Bin Abdul-Aziz}}.
  • British peers are sorted by name of the title rather than surname, e.g. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury is alphabetized under "Salisbury", not "Gascoyne-Cecil" or "Cecil": {{DEFAULTSORT:Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of}}.
  • Some peers are almost invariably known by some name other than their peerage (which will not, in such cases, appear in the article title); for example, Frederick North, Lord North (who was 2nd Earl of Guilford) or Anthony Eden (who was 1st Earl of Avon). This should be followed for most categories, sorting them under North,... and Eden,...; but categories directly relating to the peerage should still sort them under it. ] and ], respectively.
  • Unless necessary for identification, Sir, Dame, Lord and Lady should be omitted from the sort value.

Other exceptions

Shortcuts
  • Eliminate epithets: e.g. "Saint" in Saint Alban: ].
  • Generational suffixes (e.g., "Jr." or "III"), should be placed at the end of the sort key, rather than with the surname: Robert J. Smith II sorts as ], not ].
  • Only hyphens, apostrophes and periods/full stops punctuation marks should be kept in sort values. All other punctuation marks should be removed. The only exception is the apostrophe should be removed for names beginning with O'. For example, Eugene O'Neill is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:ONeill, Eugene}}.
  • Clerical titles, academic titles, military titles and honorifics should not be used in sorting. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Martin Luther Jr.}} and without the titles "Doctor" or "Reverend", for his academic and clerical achievements.
  • Surnames beginning with Mac or Mc are sorted as they are spelled. Douglas MacArthur is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:MacArthur, Douglas}} and Malcolm McDowell is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:McDowell, Malcolm}}. This is also British standard (BS 3700:1988) and ISO 999:1996 standard for preparing indexes.
  • Names with particles or prefixes are a complex field and there are exceptions and inconsistencies. Examples of particles are af, al, dall, da, de, della, di, do, dos, du, el, la, o, and von. Whether or not to include the particle in sorting can be up to the individual's personal preference, traditional cultural usage or the customs of one's nationality.
    • Generally, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish names do not include lowercase particles in sorting, but do include uppercase particles. For example, Otto von Bismarck is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Bismarck, Otto von}}, Jean de La Fontaine is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:La Fontaine, Jean de}}, and Alberto Di Chiara is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Di Chiara, Alberto}}.
    • American, Australian, Canadian, and English names generally sort on the prefix, regardless of capitalization. However, there are discrepancies between different sources on whether to sort on the prefix or not.
    • In Belgium, Dutch/Flemish and French/Walloon names sort differently by time period. For people in the Southern Netherlands (Belgium) before 1830, surnames are sorted on the body of the surname and not on the prefix(es). For example, Rogier van der Weyden is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Weyden, Rogier van der}} and Gérard de Lairesse {{DEFAULTSORT:Lairesse, Gerard de}}. In contrast, Belgian people since 1830 are sorted on the prefix. For example: Paul van Ostaijen is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Ostaijen, Paul}} and Christian de Duve is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:De Duve, Christian}}.
    • In South Africa and Namibia, Dutch/Afrikaans and German surnames are sorted by prefix, e.g. F. W. de Klerk is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:De Klerk, F. W.}}.
    • In modern Arabic or Islamic names, the prefixes al and el, regardless of capitalization, are never part of a family name for indexing. For example, Osama Al-Muwallad is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Muwallad, Osama}} and Ezzat el Kamhawi is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamhawi, Ezzat}}.
    • Sometimes the name containing the prefix is not a family name, but a description of where the person is from. In these cases, the sort value is how the entire name is spelled. For Peire de Corbiac, "de Corbiac" is a description where Peire is from, the town of Corbiac. So, the name means 'Peire of or from Corbiac' and is sorted {{DEFAULTSORT:Peire de Corbiac}}.
  • Sometimes a given name is combined with neither a surname nor a peerage title; it is preferable to sort on the first name in these cases. Example: for Augustine of Hippo, use ] or simply ].
  • Some people are known primarily by their first name only. When it is not possible to set the first name alone as the article title, as with many articles in Category:Brazilian footballers, you should sort with the first name first to make the article easier to find in the categories. For example, Leonardo Araújo is commonly known as Leonardo, and should be sorted as {{DEFAULTSORT:Leonardo Araujo}}.

References

  1. IFLA 1996, pp. IX–XI
  2. ^ Hedden, Heather (April 2007). "Arabic names" (PDF). The Indexer. 25 (3). Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  3. ^ Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.74
  4. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.75
  5. IFLA 1996, pp. 155–158
  6. Akhtar, Nasreen (April 1989). "Asian names" (PDF). The Indexer. 16 (3). Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  7. Chicago Manual of Style 2003
  8. IFLA 1996, pp. 64–65
  9. IFLA 1996, pp. 88–90
  10. "Sort keys for Icelandic names". WikiProject Iceland. Misplaced Pages. January 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  11. Power, John (June 2008). "Japanese names" (PDF). The Indexer. 26 (2). Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  12. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.80
  13. ^ IFLA 1996, pp. 118–120
  14. IFLA 1996, pp. 145–149
  15. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.81
  16. IFLA 1996, pp. 185–186
  17. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.82
  18. IFLA 1996, pp. 211–213
  19. IFLA 1996, pp. 232–234
  20. Alakas, Meral (April 2007). "Turkish names" (PDF). The Indexer. 25 (3). Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  21. IFLA 1996, pp. 108–110
  22. "Scottish Surnames and Variants". Scotland's people. Scotland. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  23. Moore, Donald (April 1990). "The Indexing of Welsh personal names" (PDF). The Indexer. 17 (1). Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  24. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.37
  25. ^ Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.38
  26. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.41
  27. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.72
  28. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.39
  29. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.71
  30. Butcher's copy-editing 2006, p. 195
  31. Chicago Manual of Style 2003, p. 18.69
  32. IFLA 1996, pp. 252–253
  33. Indexing Books 2005, p. 169
  34. ^ Pitchford, Jacqueline (October 2006). "Dutch, German, Austrian, Flemish and Afrikaans names" (PDF). The Indexer. 25 (2). Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  35. ^ IFLA 1996, pp. 29–31
  36. "Defaultsort". WikiProject Football. Misplaced Pages. June 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2012.

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