Match names

Names are complex to match because of the large number of variations that occur within a language and across languages. Match can identify variations between names including, but not limited to, typographical errors, phonetic spelling variations, transliteration differences, initials, and nicknames. Name Similarity compares two entity names (Person, Location, or Organization) and returns a match score from 0 to 1. The match score is a relative indication of how similar the match is; it is not an absolute value. When comparing different name matches, the relative values of the scores are more relevant than the actual score. Similar name matches in different languages may generate different match scores. You should always specify the entity type when known. Name Similarity applies parameter override tables and other tools specific to the entuty type. If you con't specify an entity type, the type PERSON will be used. > Although not required, we strongly recommend specifying the source language when known, for better accuracy. If you do not specify the source language, the name similarity algorithm will guess the language.