Code Snippets → PHP → Separate First and Last Name

Separate First and Last Name

Avatar of Chris Coyier
Chris Coyier on 
$name = "John S Smith";

list($fname, $lname) = split(' ', $name,2);

echo "First Name: $fname, Last Name: $lname";

Works with or without middle name.

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Comments

  1. Orves
    Permalink to comment# 
    $name = "John S. Doe";
list($fname, $lname) = explode(' ', $name,2);
echo "First Name: $fname, Last Name: $lname";

    split() function is deprecated in PHP > 5.3

    Reply
  2. Mike
    Permalink to comment#

    Or maybe something more like this to literally get their first and last name, no matter how much junk they enter

    $name = "James Samuel Murphy 'I took that waaaaay too far' Adams";
list( $fname, $mname, $lname ) = explode( ' ', $name, 3 );		
if ( is_null($lname) ) //Meaning only two names were entered...
{
    $lastname = $mname;
}
else
{
    $lname = explode( ' ', $lname );
    $size = sizeof($lname);
    $lastname = $lname[$size-1];
}
echo "First Name: $fname, Last Name: $lastname";
    Reply
  3. Emmanuel
    Permalink to comment#

    Perhaps a better way to go would be to strip multiple whitespace from the name before exploding it.
    Like this:

    list($fname,$lname) = explode(‘ ‘, str_replace(‘/\s+/gi’,’ ‘,$name), 2);

    Reply
  4. Bretticus
    Permalink to comment#

    Note that with the limit in place, $lname always ends up with the middle names and/or initials. Also, to make this accurate with the limit param in place, you need to ensure that there are no extra spaces. preg_split with a look ahead assertion can solve these two issues with one line of code still:

    list($fname,$lname) = preg_split('/\s+(?=[^\s]+$)/', $name, 2);
    Reply
  5. Immanuelprabhu
    Permalink to comment#

    Hi, help me to split my name IMMANUELPRABHU JOSHUA into First name, Middle name & Surname

    Regards
    Immanuel.J

    Reply
  6. ubaid
    Permalink to comment#

    Now time is for using explode() function :).

    Reply
  7. Preet
    Permalink to comment#

    Easy just do this:

    
$msgString = "Manpreet Singh Marwaha";

$result = explode(" ",$msgString);

echo $result[0]; //Manpreet
echo $result[1]; //Singh
echo $result[2]; //Marwaha

    easy!!!

    Reply
  8. Eyosiyas
    Permalink to comment#

    To split the whol full name into first name, middle name and last name.
    $name = “Mike Mad Smith”;

    list($fname,$mname, $lname) = split(‘ ‘, $name,3);

    echo “First Name: $fname, Middle Name: $mname, Last Name: $lname”;

    Reply
  9. Victor
    Permalink to comment#

    $name = explode(“ ”, “Mike Mad Smith”);

    $fname = $name[0]
    $lname = end($name);

    echo “First Name: $fname, Last Name: $lname”;

    Reply
  10. Grant
    Permalink to comment#

    What if it’s…

    $name = 'Cal Ripkin, Jr.';

    All these methods will have 'Jr.' as the last name because they assume the last index is the last name, no?

    Reply
  11. Revathi V T
    Permalink to comment#

    Hi
    I want to Split the Name ADHITHI C ANEESH as First name and sur name…please help me

    Reply

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