Consolidate Multiple Names

[psquire]

Each month I get the previous months data. In that data, I have a list of names that have duplicates in them. Some of the names have last, first middle. Some have just last, first. I want to combine the like names and leave the unlike names not combined.

I want to combine in this situation
ex. Smith, Peter
Smith, Peter W

I do not want to combine in this situation


ex. Smith, Peter M
Smith, Peter W

My goal is to get the original name in a table with the combined name next to it.

Original Name	New Name
Smith, Peter	Smith, Peter
Smith, Peter W	Smith, Peter

[June7]

Parsing names is often not easily accomplished. There is always one that doesn't fit pattern.

I don't fully understand your examples, especially the second one ('do not want to combine'). Not even sure what you mean by 'combine'. The 'New Name' in the last example just appears to drop initial. If the data is consistent in structure (lastname, firstname [mi]), dropping initial could be fairly easy. But then how will you distinguish between records for Peter W and Peter M?