In indexing filing, what is the standard order of name components?

• A. First Name, Middle Name, Last Name
• B. Last Name, First Name, Middle Name/Initial
• C. Middle Name, Last Name, First Name
• D. Last Name, Middle Name, First Name

Answer: (B)

Indexing is designed so you first sort by the surname because last names are the most stable and useful for grouping people. The standard format then places the first name next to identify the individual, and finally the middle name or initial to help distinguish between people who share the same first and last names. In practice, a name like John A. Smith would be stored as Smith, John A. in the index. This order—Last Name, First Name, Middle Name/Initial—keeps records organized and easy to retrieve when searching by surname, which is how most filing systems are structured. If a person has a compound or hyphenated surname, the full surname remains the first unit for sorting, followed by the given name and middle name/initial.