DONE
The updates to the Common Data Elements Standard for City Forms outlines the Information Management best practice approach to Single Name Identifiers.
Individuals who meet regulated criteria are now able to register a Single Name Identifier.
Until recently, Ontario's requirements for name registration only permitted dual names composed of at least one first name and a last name. This naming standard is a barrier to social inclusion for cultures with a single name tradition. Individuals registering a birth or requesting change of name certificate now can register a Single Name.
The City Clerk's Office establishes standards and practices for the collection and management of personal information, including name data. The best practice recommendation is that City forms and systems be designed to:
Treats single name as a unique data element, not as a type of first or last name;
Recognizes that name is now a data category with two subcategories: (a) "First
Name, Last Name" and, (b) "Single Name"; and,
Informs form and system users that the "Single Name" subcategory should be used by persons with a legally-registered single name.
Example Implementation
How to Ask for Name
Provide first name, last name fields with a checkbox that toggles the visibility of the single name field
The check box must use the following text:
Check this box only if you have a Single Name on your Registered Birth Certificate or Change of Name Certificate (rather than a First Name and Last Name).Help text provided should use the following text:
A Single Name is a naming practice in some Indigenous and other cultural traditions. It does not consist of a First Name and a Last Name.
If the first name & last name field is set to required, the single name field is set to required
If the first name & last name field is set to optional, the single name field is set to optional
How to Store Single Name
Database/ Storage solutions must provide a separate field for first name, last name and single name OR flag identifying the use of a single name