Learn English – In the format of A.B. Name, which is the given name and which is the family name

names

For example, Bill Henry Gates, which of following is right?

  • Bill H.Gates
  • B.H. Gates
  • H.G. Bill
  • Gates Bill
  • B. Gates
  • H. Gates
  • BHG
  • HGB
  • GHB

Best Answer

In English, names are usually written in the format:

[First given name] [family name], e.g.
John O'Reilly

Sometimes they are written:

[First given name] [other given names] [family name], e.g.
John Timothy O'Reilly

When using initials, it is the same, e.g.

J. O'Reilly, or
J.T. O'Reilly

But it is also very common, in certain situations, e.g. school roll (high school, university tutorial list etc.) to put the family name first, but this is posted with a comma, e.g.

O'Reilly, John Timothy

And in other places, e.g. an index, it is done with initials instead, also with a comma:

O'Reilly, J.T.

When doing three letters in a row, it is almost always the given name first, then the family name, e.g.

JTO

For John T. O'Reilly (that's another common way to write names).

Bill Gates' TLA (three letter acronym) would be:

BHG

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