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• Descriptions: use standardized descriptions such as "male given name", "female given name". Tools like the new LabelLister can help check them and remove old ones, Autoedit can add standardized ones. This helps identify and resolve inconsistent or duplicate items. Normalize descriptions with terms used on given name (Q202444), male given name (Q12308941), female given name (Q11879590)
• Disambiguation: De-mix disambiguation items: avoid having items in given name (P735) with "disambiguation" in instance of (P31). Create new items for these given names instead.
• Distinguish between items for given names and items for family names: separate items should be available for each. family name identical to this given name (P1533) can link them.
• Tutorial in French: http://ashtree.eu/wordpress/prenom-wikidata/

How to create a new item for a given name

• start with Special:NewItem
  • sample (your language): Special:NewItem?description=male given name
• add instance of (P31) with the appropriate type
• add native label (P1705) (requires a source of original origin, otherwise enter "mul" for multilingual)
• add writing system (P282) (use Latin script (Q8229), Cyrillic script (Q8209), Greek alphabet (Q8216) etc.)
• use nameGuzzler (Q23727110) to set the label for all languages with Roman script if it's a Roman-script name;
• use autoEdit to add a description ("male given name"). Resolve conflicts with existing combinations label/description that may arise
• if possible, add said to be the same as (P460) to link to at least one other given name
• if possible, add language of work or name (P407) (requires a source of original origin)
• if a disambiguation page exist, add different from (P1889)

How to clean up a given name

For items that are for given names (first names), the following clean-up steps can be needed:

• clean up instance of (P31)
• add native label (P1705)
• clean up labels (for items with native label (P1705) in Roman script, all labels in Roman script should be identical)
• clean up descriptions (remove descriptions related to family names or disambiguation)
• clean up aliases (languages in Roman script generally would not have any aliases for spelling variations).
• clean up interwiki links:
  • if an article listed in the interwikis spells the name differently than the label of the item: create a new item for this variant of the name and move the interwiki there
  • if interwikis link to disambiguation pages: these should be moved to another item
• clean up uses of the item:
  • if the name of the person is spelled differently in the item of the person using it, replace it in given name (P735) with the appropriate item
  • if the item is used with family name (P734), replace it with the appropriate item for the family name

Combined given names

Given names can be combined with a dash (sample: "Jean-Paul") or without a dash (sample: "John Paul"). For names like "Jean-Paul", there would probably be a single item in given name (P735). For "John Paul", there might be three: "John", "John Paul" and "Paul". Various names should probably be checked to match one or the other way.

For a name item

When the Wikipedia article is about both the family name and the given name, the approach is the following:

• Use instance of (P31) = name (Q82799) on the combined "name" item. Example: Alonso (Q2650702)
• On the specific items for the given name and for the family name, link this with "part of". Example: Alonso (Q18552177) for given name, Alonso (Q18552178) for family name
• No given names/family name properties should use the name item. Alonso (Q2650702) in the example.

Specific naming conventions

Roman names

Roman names generally have the following parts: praenomen, nomen, and cognomen. Sometimes, an agnomen is used as well. → en:Roman naming conventions#The tria nomina.

• Properties to use for these are: Roman praenomen (P2358), Roman nomen gentilicium (P2359), Roman cognomen (P2365), Roman agnomen (P2366)
• Nomen should link to the item for the w:Category:Roman gentes -> Category:Roman gentes (Q9815532)

Uses

For a given name

Title	ID	Data type	Description	Examples	Inverse
instance of	P31	Item	instance of: that class of which this subject is a particular example and member; different from P279 (subclass of); for example: K2 is an instance of mountain; volcano is a subclass of mountain (and an instance of volcanic landform)	John <instance of> male given name	-
language of work or name	P407	Item	language: language associated with this creative work (such as books, shows, songs, broadcasts or websites) or a name (for persons use "native language" (P103) and "languages spoken, written or signed" (P1412))	John <language of work or name> English	-
said to be the same as	P460	Item	said to be the same as: this item is said to be the same as that item, though this may be uncertain or disputed	John <said to be the same as> Jean	said to be the same as
part of	P361	Item	part: object of which the subject is a part (if this subject is already part of object A which is a part of object B, then please only make the subject part of object A), inverse property of "has part" (P527, see also "has parts of the class" (P2670))	Sylvain <part of> Sylvain	has part(s)
family name identical to this given name	P1533	Item	last name that is the same as a given first name. Use on items for given names	Sylvain <family name identical to this given name> Sylvain	-
given name version for other gender	P1560	Item	equivalent name (with respect to the meaning of the name) in the same language: female version of a male first name, male version of a female first name. Add primarily the closest matching one	Riccardo <given name version for other gender> Riccarda	given name version for other gender
opposite of	P461	Item	opposite and antonym: item that is in some way the opposite of this item	Jean <opposite of> Jean	opposite of

• Create a new item when none is available for a name.
• Labels for given names should be the same in all languages with Roman script.
• Alias: languages in Roman script generally would not have any aliases.
• People with translated given names could have several items for the same given name.
• People with several given names will have several values in given name (P735).
• Avoid adding items with Wikimedia disambiguation page (Q4167410) or items that link to disambiguation pages in one of the languages.
• The property should only be used on items for persons (humans or fictional humans).

For a family name/surname

Title	ID	Data type	Description	Examples	Inverse
instance of	P31	Item	instance of: that class of which this subject is a particular example and member; different from P279 (subclass of); for example: K2 is an instance of mountain; volcano is a subclass of mountain (and an instance of volcanic landform)	Fisher <instance of> family name	-
named after	P138	Item	eponym, memorial society and namesakes: entity or event that inspired the subject's name, or namesake (in at least one language). Qualifier "applies to name" (P5168) can be used to indicate which one	Fisher <named after> fisher	-
part of	P361	Item	part: object of which the subject is a part (if this subject is already part of object A which is a part of object B, then please only make the subject part of object A), inverse property of "has part" (P527, see also "has parts of the class" (P2670))	Sylvain <part of> Sylvain	has part(s)

• Labels for family name should be the same in all languages with Roman script.
• Data in the property "family name" is not meant to indicate any sort of kinship between people with the same surname.
• Avoid adding items with Wikimedia disambiguation page (Q4167410) or items that link to disambiguation pages in one of the languages.
• The property should only be used on items for person (humans or fictional humans).

For a combined family name with given name

The approach is the following:

• Use instance of (P31) = name (Q82799) on the combined "name" item. Example: Alonso (Q2650702)
• On the specific items for the given name and for the family name, link this with "part of". Example: Alonso (Q18552177) for given name, Alonso (Q18552178) for family name
• No given names/family name properties should use the name item. Alonso (Q2650702) in the example.