Finding a person in the world has been a challenge for hundreds of years, but with digital information, data storage, and big data analytics, we can find anyone, anytime. But how to conduct people search by a first name if you don’t have anything else? Whether you’re trying to find out information about that old classmate from your childhood or you need to track down a long-lost relative during a family emergency, you can use these five creative ways to find anyone. In this article, you’ll learn how to find someone if you don’t know their last name.
Why are people tracing others with a first name only?
There may be several reasons why people will look for others with only their first name available. Some people, when they get old, they want to reunite with family. Others want to trace old friends. There are other reasons, too. One reason might be that the person is looking for someone with the same name as them. Another reason might be that they are looking for someone with a common interest. Whatever the reason may be, it is clear that there are many reasons why people would want to find others with only their first name available.
5 creative ways to find someone if you don’t know their last name
Contact a previous or current employer
It’s not that hard to find someone with just a first name. However, it’d be great if you knew more about their previous employer (company name). Check with any former places of employment to see whether the person still might be employed there. Then, request that your message is forwarded to them. This method will allow you to get a response from someone who knows the subject and can provide some good insight into what they are going through or have planned.
Check-up at school
After a little bit of digging for a first name search, you learn that the person you’re searching for went to your alma mater. You locate their email by going through old yearbooks and contacting the administration. Then, with only an address and their email, you send them a friendly message asking about yourself and hearing about how they’ve been doing. By using alumni resources available via the school’s website, you are able to reconnect with a person who might otherwise remain an unknown entity without ever knowing it! In general, alumni associations are reluctant to give out personal information about their members but might be happy to pass your message along to the person in question.
Use a commonplace
Another way to find someone without a last name is if you know where they used to hang out. When searching for a person you know little about, think about the places where they used to go and talk to employees there. A former landlord or neighbor might have a forwarding address for them or reveal their last name. This is a very underestimated way to find people by a first name.
Social Media is always at your disposal
While social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are useful for research purposes in your search, it’s important to supplement that with more traditional databases. For example, using the name of the person you’re seeking as their first name, hometown, high school and college (all of which can be found online), and the ages listed on their websites and Facebook gives you a tiny subset of possible candidates. It’s still better to investigate those possibilities than leave them unexplored. And even if it means calling out 5-6 people, it’s worth it!
Google it
Google can be a great resource when you’re trying to find information on someone. If you know the person’s first name, you can try specifying your search to see if you can find any results. You can also check to see if the person has a business and where they live. If the person works for a big company, their name might be listed on the company website. With some research, you can find what you’re looking for.
Summary
Many people search by a first name in a desperate attempt to find distant relatives to pass them the news, like the death of a common one, or to find lost friends. Using these 5 creative ways could help you a lot in your search.
