Search for Person by Partial Name

When you only have partial name information, use the individual name parameters (first_name, middle_name, last_name) to search more precisely than using the combined name parameter.

When to Use Partial Name Search

Use individual name parameters when:

• You only know a person's first or last name
• You need to search across variations of a name
• You want more control over which parts of a name to match

Search by Last Name Only

Find all people with a specific last name in a location:

curl 'https://api.whitepages.com/v1/person?last_name=Smith&city=Seattle&state_code=WA' \
  --header 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY'

Search by First and Last Name

When you know both first and last name but want to match regardless of middle name:

curl 'https://api.whitepages.com/v1/person?first_name=John&last_name=Smith&state_code=NY' \
  --header 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY'

Include Middle Name for Precision

For more precise matching when you have complete name information:

curl 'https://api.whitepages.com/v1/person?first_name=John&middle_name=Robert&last_name=Smith&zipcode=10001' \
  --header 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY'

Combining with Location Parameters

For best results, always include at least one location parameter:

Name Parameter vs Individual Parameters

Use name for convenience when you have a full name string. Use individual parameters when you need precise control or only have partial information.