When alphabetizing, what’s the ruling for initials in a company name? Example: In what order should the following company names be listed?

C.L. Baker Company
Chemical A Company
C.C. Keller & Associates
CFM Systems
C. P. McNamara

Thanks.

The whole name of the company is just like a book title, so The and A are overlooked and there is no sorting like you do with personal names. Inititals come first, then whole words. The initials are in order of the second initial unless there is a C.L. Alpha that would naturally come before C.L. Baker. I could be wrong but that seems how I remember it?

C.C. Kellar & Associates
C.L. Baker Company
C.P. McNamara
CFM Systems (CFM works as a word since it lacks the periods)
Chemical A Company

Just to add, I would ignore whether initials had a period or not.

So you might get

CL Baker
C L Charlie
C.L. David
CM Edwards

That would work Scott unless you are in the graphics/printing business (or something related) where one period out of place can cost you a job, but I see your point. I guess it depends on the business you're in.

Ouch! :D

But the question didn't specify printing the names. I was assuming, from the forum, that this was an issue of physical filing. A computer is going sort the data according to ASCII values.

TIP: copy/past list into excel and alphabatize... PRESTO! Hehe



I assume it is just a typo but you put a space between the C. & the P. (in McNamera) but didn't put a space between the C. & the L. (in Baker Company) and the C. and the C. (in Keller & associates).

If this was done on purpose and that is how they listed their Company names, then the true alphabetical order would be:

C. P. McNamara
C.C. Keller & Associates
C.L. Baker Company
CFM Systems
Chemical A Company

However, if a space was intended after EACH C. then Val nailed it with her list ;)

Correct! A Computer doesn't anyalze the pattern in basic sorts. Computers are pretty dumb that way.

So that The Charlie Company is going to wind up in the Ts unless its entered as Charlie Company, The. Relying on computers to sort names can be a tricky deal.

Thank you all for your comments. I should have been more specific.

This is for printing lists of company names, not filing, and the space between the initials in C. P. McNamara and not the other company names were intentional.

I have two books and they differ in methods, so I think it's confusing. Maybe I've just looked at the list too long!

Thanks again.

If this is a printed list, then you can use the sorting feature of the program the data is being printed from. If that sort is not what you want, then you will need to add an ordering value to each record.