Lingua::EN::NameParse and Text::Names can be of help here.

use Lingua::EN::NameParse qw(clean case_surname);
use Text::Names;

use strict;
use warnings;
 
# optional configuration arguments
my %args =
(
    auto_clean      => 1,
    lc_prefix       => 1,
    initials        => 3,
    allow_reversed  => 1,
    joint_names     => 0,
    extended_titles => 0
);
 
my $parser = Lingua::EN::NameParse->new(%args);
my $error;

for my $input (
   'JAMES SMITH-JONES',
   'BOB SMITH-SMYTHE-SMITH',
   'J. JONAH JAMESON',
   'BILLY BOB THORNTON'
){
    print "\n\ninput name is '$input'\n";
    $error = $parser->parse($input);
    die "error: $error" if $error;
    print $parser->report;

    my $name3 = Text::Names::cleanName($input);
    print "name3: $name3\n";
}

[download]

btw if you are inserting names into DB :) xkcd#327

bw, bliako

In reply to Re: Split confusion by bliako
in thread Split confusion by swampyankee

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