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/Name Verification

Global Name

Overview

The Global Name Cloud API takes full names and optionally a Country as input and uses intelligent recognition to identify over 6,000,000 last names and 4,000,000 first names across different countries and languages. Global Name is used to validate and parse the names of people and businesses. Use this API at the point of entry to detect vulgarities and suspicious names and prevent them from entering the Database.

Global Name can be used to:

  • Parse full names into first, middle and last names, as well as prefixes like “Dr.” and suffixes like “Jr.”
  • Correct misspelled first names
  • Flag vulgar and obviously fake names, such as “Bugs Bunny.”
  • Split dual names (ex. Mr and Mrs John and Mary Jones)
  • Assign gender based on known first names and prefixes.
  • Output preferred output Salutation name parts.
  • Standardize company names

Documentation

Useful Resources

Product Page

https://www.melissa.com/name-verification

Support Center

https://www.melissa.com/company/product-support

Download OpenAPI description
global-name.json
global-name.yaml
Languages
Servers
Global Name Server
https://globalname.melissadata.net/V3/WEB/GlobalName/

Name Verification

Use this endpoint to verify names.

Operations

Verify a name or company

Request

This is the Global Name request.

Note: A License Key is required with either Company or FullName for this request.

Query
tstring

Transmission Reference - Serves as a unique identifier for this set of records. This allows you to match a response to a request.

Example: t=Test
idstringrequired

The License Key issued by Melissa.

Example: id={REPLACE-WITH-YOUR-LICENSE-KEY}
optstring

Options - Pass in options you want to set for the request. Options are listed in the OptionName:Parameter format with multiple options delimited with a ,.

  • CorrectFirstName:< ON | OFF > - ON will allow first name misspelling corrections. Default is OFF, preserve first name spellings; no correction allowed.

  • GenderAggression:< Code or Name > - Set how aggressively the service will attempt to genderize neutral first names. By default, Global Name will assign a value of “N” when attempting to genderize a first name that can easily be male or female, such as “Taylor,” “Chris,” or “Pat.” Using this property in conjunction with the GenderPopulation option, you can instruct the service on how much preference to give one gender over the other when assigning a gender to a normally neutral name.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, GENDERAGGRESSION:2 and GENDERAGGRESSION:Neutral are equivalent.

    • 1 or Aggressive - Aggressive name genderizing.
    • 2 or Neutral - Default. Neutral name genderizing.
    • 3 or Conservative - Conservative name genderizing.

  • GenderPopulation:< Code or Name > - Set the gender balance of the source data, predominantly male, predominantly female, or neutral. If you know that the majority of inputted names will be predominantly one gender, meaning that gender-neutral names will likely be of a particular gender, use this property to set the gender bias while genderizing names.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, GENDERPOPULATION:3 and GENDERPOPULATION:Female are equivalent settings.

    • 1 or Male - Bias towards Male.
    • 2 or Mixed - Default. No bias towards either gender.
    • 3 or Female - Bias towards Female.

  • LegacySalutation:< ON | OFF > - US/CAN only. This option will create a formal (Mr/Mrs) salutation from an assigned FirstName gender for US/CAN. Default is OFF.

  • NameHint:< Code or Name > - This option sets the most likely format of the FullName input string. This helps the service in cases where the order and formatting of the FullName input string are unclear.

    • Full or normal name order is: <Prefix> <First> <Middle> <Last> <Suffix>.
    • Inverse name order is: <Last> <Suffix>, <Prefix> <First> <Middle>.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, NAMEHINT:4 and NAMEHINT:Varying are equivalent settings.

    • 1 or DefinitelyFull - Name will always be treated as normal name order regardless of formatting or punctuation.
    • 4 or Varying - Default. If necessary, statistical logic will be employed to determine name order, with no bias toward either name order.
    • 7 or DefinitelyInverse - Name will always be treated as inverse name order, regardless of formatting or punctuation.

  • Salutation:< Formal | Informal | FirstLast | Slug | Blank > - Optional. This option creates a pipe delimited list of preferred salutation formats and precedence to use when generating salutations. There are five possible formats to use for creating salutations.

    • Formal - (e.g., "Mr. Smith MD")
    • Informal - (e.g., "John")
    • FirstLast - (e.g., "John Smith")
    • Slug - (e.g., "Valued Customer")
    • Blank - (e.g., "")

    example: opt=Salutation:Formal|FirstLast|Blank|Informal - This requests a formal salutation to be built where possible but would rather have a blank salutation than an informal salutation (this could replace a blank with a proprietary slug like ‘Valued Customer:’).

  • SalutationPrefix:<your-custom-prefix> - Optional. Sets the prefix for the salutation name.

  • SalutationSlug:<your-custom-slug> - Optional. Sets the text for substituting a name in salutations.

  • SalutationSuffix:<your-custom-suffix> - Optional. Sets the suffix for the salutation name.

Example: opt=CorrectFirstName:ON,GenderAggression:2,Salutation:Formal|FirstLast|Blank|Informal
formatstring

Format of the request.

Default "xml"
Enum"xml""json"
Example: format=json
compstring

Company - The company name to be standardized. Optional if Full Name if provided.

Example: comp=Melissa Data corp
fullstringrequired

Full Name - The full name to be analyzed, standardized, and parsed. Optional if Company if provided.

Example: full=Doktor Enna Schäfer
ctrystringrequired

Country Name - The country name, abbreviation, or ISO code of the input name.

Example: ctry=DE
curl -i -X GET \
  'https://globalname.melissadata.net/V3/WEB/GlobalName/doGlobalName?id={REPLACE-WITH-YOUR-LICENSE-KEY}&full=Doktor+Enna+Sch%C3%A4fer&ctry=DE'

Responses

Global Name Response.

Body
Versionstring

The current service version number.

TransmissionReferencestring

A unique identifier for this set of records. Returned as sent.

TransmissionResultsstring

Returns result codes for the request as a whole. For more information, see Global Name Result Codes.

TotalRecordsstring

Total number of records.

RecordsArray of objects(doGlobalNameResponseRecords)

Records array containing the results for each record processed.

Response
{
  "Version": "9.4.1.4127",
  "TransmissionReference": "Global Name Test",
  "TransmissionResults": "",
  "TotalRecords": "1",
  "Records": [
    { … }
  ]
}

Verify names or companies

Request

This is the Global Name request.

Note: A License Key is required with either Company or FullName for this request.

Body
required
TransmissionReferencestring

Transmission Reference - Serves as a unique identifier for this set of records. This allows you to match a response to a request.

CustomerIDstringrequired

The License Key issued by Melissa.

Optionsstring

Options - Pass in options you want to set for the request. Options are listed in the OptionName:Parameter format with multiple options delimited with a ,.

  • CorrectFirstName:< ON | OFF > - ON will allow first name misspelling corrections. Default is OFF, preserve first name spellings; no correction allowed.

  • GenderAggression:< Code or Name > - Set how aggressively the service will attempt to genderize neutral first names. By default, Global Name will assign a value of “N” when attempting to genderize a first name that can easily be male or female, such as “Taylor,” “Chris,” or “Pat.” Using this property in conjunction with the GenderPopulation option, you can instruct the service on how much preference to give one gender over the other when assigning a gender to a normally neutral name.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, GENDERAGGRESSION:2 and GENDERAGGRESSION:Neutral are equivalent.

    • 1 or Aggressive - Aggressive name genderizing.
    • 2 or Neutral - Default. Neutral name genderizing.
    • 3 or Conservative - Conservative name genderizing.

  • GenderPopulation:< Code or Name > - Set the gender balance of the source data, predominantly male, predominantly female, or neutral. If you know that the majority of inputted names will be predominantly one gender, meaning that gender-neutral names will likely be of a particular gender, use this property to set the gender bias while genderizing names.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, GENDERPOPULATION:3 and GENDERPOPULATION:Female are equivalent settings.

    • 1 or Male - Bias towards Male.
    • 2 or Mixed - Default. No bias towards either gender.
    • 3 or Female - Bias towards Female.

  • LegacySalutation:< ON | OFF > - US/CAN only. This option will create a formal (Mr/Mrs) salutation from an assigned FirstName gender for US/CAN. Default is OFF.

  • NameHint:< Code or Name > - This option sets the most likely format of the FullName input string. This helps the service in cases where the order and formatting of the FullName input string are unclear.

    • Full or normal name order is: <Prefix> <First> <Middle> <Last> <Suffix>.
    • Inverse name order is: <Last> <Suffix>, <Prefix> <First> <Middle>.

    Either the Code or Name listed below can be used to set the action. For example, NAMEHINT:4 and NAMEHINT:Varying are equivalent settings.

    • 1 or DefinitelyFull - Name will always be treated as normal name order regardless of formatting or punctuation.
    • 4 or Varying - Default. If necessary, statistical logic will be employed to determine name order, with no bias toward either name order.
    • 7 or DefinitelyInverse - Name will always be treated as inverse name order, regardless of formatting or punctuation.

  • Salutation:< Formal | Informal | FirstLast | Slug | Blank > - Optional. This option creates a pipe delimited list of preferred salutation formats and precedence to use when generating salutations. There are five possible formats to use for creating salutations.

    • Formal - (e.g., "Mr. Smith MD")
    • Informal - (e.g., "John")
    • FirstLast - (e.g., "John Smith")
    • Slug - (e.g., "Valued Customer")
    • Blank - (e.g., "")

    example: opt=Salutation:Formal|FirstLast|Blank|Informal - This requests a formal salutation to be built where possible but would rather have a blank salutation than an informal salutation (this could replace a blank with a proprietary slug like ‘Valued Customer:’).

  • SalutationPrefix:<your-custom-prefix> - Optional. Sets the prefix for the salutation name.

  • SalutationSlug:<your-custom-slug> - Optional. Sets the text for substituting a name in salutations.

  • SalutationSuffix:<your-custom-suffix> - Optional. Sets the suffix for the salutation name.

Example: "CorrectFirstName:ON,GenderAggression:2,Salutation:Formal|FirstLast|Blank|Informal"
Formatstring

Format of the request.

Default "xml"
Enum"xml""json"
RecordsArray of objects(doGlobalNameRequestRecord)[ 1 .. 100 ] itemsrequired

Records array containing the records to be processed.

Records[].​RecordIDstring

This is a string value containing a unique identifier for the current record. Use this to match the record submitted with the record returned.

Example: "1"
Records[].​Companystring

The company name to be standardized.

Records[].​Countrystring

The country name or abbreviation of the input name.

Records[].​FullNamestring

The full name to be genderized, standardized, and parsed.

curl -i -X POST \
  https://globalname.melissadata.net/V3/WEB/GlobalName/doGlobalName \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "TransmissionReference": "Test",
    "CustomerID": "{REPLACE-WITH-YOUR-LICENSE-KEY}",
    "Options": "",
    "Format": "json",
    "Records": [
      {
        "RecordID": "1",
        "Country": "DE",
        "FullName": "Doktor Enna Schäfer"
      },
      {
        "RecordID": "2",
        "Country": "US",
        "FullName": "Ray Melissa"
      }
    ]
  }'

Responses

Global Name Response.

Body
Versionstring

The current service version number.

TransmissionReferencestring

A unique identifier for this set of records. Returned as sent.

TransmissionResultsstring

Returns result codes for the request as a whole. For more information, see Global Name Result Codes.

TotalRecordsstring

Total number of records.

RecordsArray of objects(doGlobalNameResponseRecords)

Records array containing the results for each record processed.

Response
{
  "Version": "9.4.1.4127",
  "TransmissionReference": "Global Name Test",
  "TransmissionResults": "",
  "TotalRecords": "1",
  "Records": [
    { … },
    { … }
  ]
}