HL7 FN Family Name
HL7 datatype components FN components from HL7 v2.5.1 Hide components
These are the generated components for the version selected at the top of the page. The article stays practical, and this panel follows the chosen HL7 version.
Components
| Pos | Component | Name | Type | Table | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FN.1 | Surname | ST | Surname; Type ST. | |
| 2 | FN.2 | Own Surname Prefix | ST | Own Surname Prefix; Type ST. | |
| 3 | FN.3 | Own Surname | ST | Own Surname; Type ST. | |
| 4 | FN.4 | Surname Prefix From Partner/Spouse | ST | Surname Prefix From Partner/Spouse; Type ST. | |
| 5 | FN.5 | Surname From Partner/Spouse | ST | Surname From Partner/Spouse; Type ST. |
FN is the family-name portion of a person name. It is used inside richer name datatypes such as XPN and XCN, where family name can be broken into prefixes, own surname, and partner or spouse surname pieces.
In this guide, FN appears in PPN, XCN, XPN. That used-by list is a good reality check: the datatype is only half the story, and the field that uses it tells you the workflow.
The component panel above is expanded by default because most datatype pages are used as quick lookup pages. Start there for the exact HL7 v2.5.1 shape, then use the notes below for the practical gotchas.
FN-1 to FN-5: Component Quick Read
The generated component panel above is the formal quick lookup. The short version is below so you can scan the shape without counting carets by eye.
- FN-1 Surname - Surname. Type ST.
- FN-2 Own Surname Prefix - Own Surname Prefix. Type ST.
- FN-3 Own Surname - Own Surname. Type ST.
- FN-4 Surname Prefix From Partner/Spouse - Surname Prefix From Partner/Spouse. Type ST.
- FN-5 Surname From Partner/Spouse - Surname From Partner/Spouse. Type ST.
Practical Notes
Text still has to survive HL7 delimiters. If the source value can contain |, ^, ~, &, or a backslash, encode it before putting it into the message. Integration Soup and the HL7 parser helpers include HL7Encode and HL7Decode for that exact kind of cleanup.
In HL7 Soup Web, click a field that uses FN and the interpretation view will show which component you are sitting in and where that value lives in the raw message. That is especially handy with compact datatypes because one missing caret can move every value after it.
Official and Reference Notes
For formal reference, compare the generated HL7 v2.5.1 panel above with the HL7 v2.5.1 datatype list and the HL7 Terminology data type code system. Local implementation guides can narrow allowed values, tables, and component usage.