# User mention full name search is not working for Unicode names

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-mention-full-name-search-is-not-working-for-unicode-names/53691>\
**Category:** Bug\
**Created:** [02.Декабрь.2016 15:44:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-mention-full-name-search-is-not-working-for-unicode-names/53691 "2016-12-02T15:44:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![ibnesayeed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/ibnesayeed/32/120427_2.png) [@ibnesayeed](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ibnesayeed)\
**Post date:** [02.Декабрь.2016 15:44:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-mention-full-name-search-is-not-working-for-unicode-names/53691/1 "2016-12-02T15:44:11Z")

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I can type `@Atw` and see @codinghorror suggested for mention, which illustrates that the auto-suggest system is working not only for user id lookup, but also for name lookup, this is great and very much desired.

However, if the name has Unicode characters beyond ASCII, then name lookup does not work. For example if I type `@علی` (which is an Arabic, Persian, or Urdu name), I would expect @ALINAWAZJOYIA to show up in the suggestions, which it doesn’t.

For users of different languages it would be very inconvenient to switch the keyboard to English just to mention someone then switch it back to the original language to continue writing. Additionally, it forces people to remember IDs, not names which is often more common in non-technical communities for people to remember and call each other by names.

Also, a feature would be great if name lookup continues after `@` is typed, even if spaces are added to the text, until the server exhausted suggestions. This would be useful in situations where the first name is very common and to find a specific user, one must also type part of the middle or last name until the desired name shows up in the auto-complete list.

The following old thread is somewhat relevant, so I am adding it here for the reference.

> [@Full name @mentions](https://meta.discourse.org/t/full-name-mentions/23896):
>
> It would look more elegent in posts if @leo (for example) was presented as (or at least the user had the option to present it as) “Leo” or “Leo McArdle”.

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