Definition
The text that represents a name by which a person’s family group may be identified. That part of a name a person usually has in common with some other members of his/her family, as distinguished from his/her given names.
Components
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Data Element ConceptPerson: Family Name
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Object ClassPerson
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PropertyFamily Name
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Value DomainText X(50)
Representation
This representation is based on the value domain for this data element, more information is available at " Text X(50) ".| Data Type | ALPHANUMERICSTRING |
|---|---|
| Format | X(50) |
| Maximum character length | 50 |
Comments
Often people use a variety of names, including legal names, married/maiden names, nicknames, assumed names, traditional names, etc. Even small differences in recording - such as the difference between MacIntosh and McIntosh - can make record linkage impossible. To minimise discrepancies in the recording and reporting of name information, agencies or establishments should ask the person for their full (formal) 'Given name' and 'Family name'. These may be different from the name that the person may prefer the agency or establishment workers to use in personal dealings. Agencies or establishments may choose to separately record the preferred names that the person wishes to be used by agency or establishment workers. In some cultures it is traditional to state the family name first. To overcome discrepancies in recording/reporting that may arise as a result of this practice, agencies or establishments should always ask the person to specify their first given name and their family name or surname separately. These should then be 270 National community services data dictionary: version 8 recorded as 'Given name' and 'Family name' as appropriate, regardless of the order in which they may be traditionally given.
Origin
Standards Australia 2017. AS 4590—2017 Interchange of client information. Sydney: Standards Australia.
References
A person’s family name is one of the following:
- The hereditary or tribal surname of a person’s family.
- Acquired by a person in accordance with a due process defined in a State or Territory Act relating to the registration of births, deaths, marriages and changes of name and sex, and for related purposes, such as the ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration.
- Any other name distinguished from a person given name.
The agency or establishment should record the person's full family name on their information systems.