Treat leading period-abbreviations as titles (#109)

docs/release_log.rst

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Release Log
       ``CONSTANTS.first_name_prefixes.clear()``. **Default-on: changes parsing
       output for names with these prefixes.** (#150)
     - Add ``middle_name_as_last`` flag to ``Constants`` and ``HumanName`` for opt-in folding of middle names into the last name, for naming systems with no middle-name concept (e.g. Arabic patronymic chaining) (#133)
+    - Treat an unrecognized, multi-letter token ending in a period in the leading title run (before the first name is set), e.g. ``"Major."``, as a ``title`` instead of a ``first`` name; internal-period abbreviations (``"E.T."``) and single-letter initials (``"J."``) are unaffected. **Default-on: changes parsing of names with a leading unknown period-abbreviation** (closes #109)
 * 1.2.1 - June 19, 2026
     - Fix ``initials()`` interpolating the literal ``None`` for empty name parts when ``empty_attribute_default = None`` (e.g. ``"J. None D."``); empty parts now render as an empty string and a fully-empty result returns ``empty_attribute_default``
     - Add ``python -m nameparser "Name String"`` command-line helper that prints a parsed name

docs/usage.rst

@@ -188,6 +188,36 @@ reading in that ambiguous context:
       nickname: 'JD'
     ]>
 
+Leading Period-Abbreviation Titles
+-----------------------------------
+
+An unrecognized, multi-letter word ending in a period, found anywhere in the
+leading title run (i.e. before the first name is set), is treated as a title
+-- this covers military ranks and other abbreviations that aren't in the
+built-in titles list, including chained abbreviations like
+``"Foo. Xyz. John Smith"``. Single-letter initials (``"J."``) and
+internal-period abbreviations (``"E.T."``) are not affected, and the same
+word appearing after the first name is left as a middle name.
+
+.. doctest:: leading_period_titles
+    :options: +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
+
+    >>> name = HumanName("Major. Dona Smith")
+    >>> name
+    <HumanName : [
+      title: 'Major.'
+      first: 'Dona'
+      middle: ''
+      last: 'Smith'
+      suffix: ''
+      nickname: ''
+    ]>
+    >>> name = HumanName("J. Smith")
+    >>> name.first
+    'J.'
+    >>> name.title
+    ''
+
 Change the output string with string formatting
 -----------------------------------------------
 

nameparser/config/regexes.py

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
         r'(ович|овна|евич|евна|ична|ильич|кузьмич|лукич|фомич|фокич)$',
         re.U,
     )),
+    ("period_abbreviation", re.compile(r'^[^\W\d_]{2,}\.$', re.U)),
 ])
 """
 All regular expressions used by the parser are precompiled and stored in the config.

nameparser/parser.py

@@ -540,6 +540,20 @@ def is_title(self, value: str) -> bool:
         """Is in the :py:data:`~nameparser.config.titles.TITLES` set."""
         return lc(value) in self.C.titles
 
+    def is_leading_title(self, piece: str) -> bool:
+        """
+        True if ``piece`` is a known title, or an unrecognized multi-letter
+        word ending in a single trailing period (e.g. ``"Major."``). The
+        ``{2,}`` in the ``period_abbreviation`` regex, not a separate
+        ``is_an_initial()`` check, is what excludes single-letter initials
+        like ``"J."``. Only meaningful for pieces in the title position
+        (before the first name is set) — a period-abbreviation appearing
+        later in the name is left as a middle name. Does not mutate
+        ``C.titles``, so the periodless form (``"Major"``) is never affected
+        in later parses.
+        """
+        return self.is_title(piece) or bool(self.C.regexes.period_abbreviation.match(piece))
+
     def is_conjunction(self, piece: str) -> bool:
         """Is in the conjunctions set and not :py:func:`is_an_initial()`."""
         if isinstance(piece, list):
@@ -930,7 +944,7 @@ def parse_full_name(self) -> None:
                 # title must have a next piece, unless it's just a title
                 if not self.first \
                         and (nxt or p_len == 1) \
-                        and self.is_title(piece):
+                        and self.is_leading_title(piece):
                     self.title_list.append(piece)
                     continue
                 if not self.first:
@@ -981,7 +995,7 @@ def parse_full_name(self) -> None:
 
                     if not self.first \
                             and (nxt or len(pieces) == 1) \
-                            and self.is_title(piece):
+                            and self.is_leading_title(piece):
                         self.title_list.append(piece)
                         continue
                     if not self.first:
@@ -1022,7 +1036,7 @@ def parse_full_name(self) -> None:
 
                     if not self.first \
                             and (nxt or len(post_comma_pieces) == 1) \
-                            and self.is_title(piece):
+                            and self.is_leading_title(piece):
                         self.title_list.append(piece)
                         continue
                     if not self.first:

tests/test_brute_force.py

@@ -100,23 +100,31 @@ def test15(self) -> None:
         self.m(hn.suffix, "III", hn)
 
     def test16(self) -> None:
+        # "John." is an unrecognized period-abbreviation in the leading
+        # title position of the lastname-comma format, so is_leading_title()
+        # now treats it as a title rather than a first name (see #109).
         hn = HumanName("Doe, John. A. Kenneth")
-        self.m(hn.first, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "A.", hn)
         self.m(hn.last, "Doe", hn)
-        self.m(hn.middle, "A. Kenneth", hn)
+        self.m(hn.middle, "Kenneth", hn)
 
     def test17(self) -> None:
+        # Same period-abbreviation-as-title behavior as test16 (see #109).
         hn = HumanName("Doe, John. A. Kenneth, Jr.")
-        self.m(hn.first, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "A.", hn)
         self.m(hn.last, "Doe", hn)
-        self.m(hn.middle, "A. Kenneth", hn)
+        self.m(hn.middle, "Kenneth", hn)
         self.m(hn.suffix, "Jr.", hn)
 
     def test18(self) -> None:
+        # Same period-abbreviation-as-title behavior as test16 (see #109).
         hn = HumanName("Doe, John. A. Kenneth III")
-        self.m(hn.first, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "John.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "A.", hn)
         self.m(hn.last, "Doe", hn)
-        self.m(hn.middle, "A. Kenneth", hn)
+        self.m(hn.middle, "Kenneth", hn)
         self.m(hn.suffix, "III", hn)
 
     def test19(self) -> None:

tests/test_suffixes.py

@@ -310,10 +310,13 @@ def test_suffix_in_parenthesis_mid_name(self) -> None:
     def test_suffix_in_parenthesis_with_period(self) -> None:
         # Same known limitation as above: "Ret." is mid-name (no comma), so
         # it's outside the trailing run parse_full_name's suffix detection
-        # requires. It parses exactly as bare "Col. Ret. Smith" would.
+        # requires. It parses exactly as bare "Col. Ret. Smith" would: since
+        # "Ret." is an unrecognized period-abbreviation appearing before the
+        # first name is set, is_leading_title() treats it as a second title
+        # token (see #109), joining "Col." into a single title string.
         hn = HumanName("Col. (Ret.) Smith")
-        self.m(hn.title, "Col.", hn)
-        self.m(hn.first, "Ret.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "Col. Ret.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "", hn)
         self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
         self.m(hn.suffix, "", hn)
         self.m(hn.nickname, "", hn)

tests/test_titles.py

@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ def test_last_name_is_also_title_with_comma(self) -> None:
         self.m(hn.last, "King", hn)
         self.m(hn.suffix, "Jr.", hn)
 
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_is_title(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Major. Dona Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Major.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "Dona", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
     def test_last_name_is_also_title3(self) -> None:
         hn = HumanName("John King")
         self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
@@ -272,3 +278,83 @@ def test_herr_title_with_first_name(self) -> None:
         self.m(hn.title, "Herr", hn)
         self.m(hn.first, "Klaus", hn)
         self.m(hn.last, "Schmidt", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_suffix_comma(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Major. John Smith, Jr.")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Major.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+        self.m(hn.suffix, "Jr.", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_lastname_comma(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Smith, Major. John")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Major.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_unknown_word(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Foo. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Foo.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_chained(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Foo. Xyz. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Foo. Xyz.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_single_letter_initial_excluded(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("J. Smith")
+        self.m(hn.first, "J.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_internal_period_abbreviation_excluded(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("E.T. Smith")
+        self.m(hn.first, "E.T.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "", hn)
+
+    def test_period_abbreviation_after_first_name_stays_middle(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("John Major. Smith")
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.middle, "Major.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+        self.m(hn.title, "", hn)
+
+    def test_known_title_with_period_still_a_title(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Dr. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Dr.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_middle_initial_with_period_unaffected(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("John Q. Smith")
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.middle, "Q.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_excludes_digits(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("No1. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "No1.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_excludes_apostrophe(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("O'B. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "O'B.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_case_insensitive(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("xyz. John Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "xyz.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "John", hn)
+        self.m(hn.last, "Smith", hn)
+
+    def test_leading_period_abbreviation_with_nickname(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName("Xyz. (Bud) Smith")
+        self.m(hn.title, "Xyz.", hn)
+        self.m(hn.first, "Smith", hn)
+        self.m(hn.nickname, "Bud", hn)