Alphabetization

Reference: ARMA (Association of Records Managers and Administrators

The Basics
The Basics
eyes

Alphabetize the first letter.

chin
forehead
Ex: Nose, lips, eyes, hair, chin, forehead lips

hair

nose
The Basics
eraser
marker
Alphabetize the second letter.
paper
Ex: pencil, eraser, marker, paper, pencil
sharpener, scissors scissors

sharpener
The Basics

If the first words are the same, alphabetize the first Paper art
letter of the second word.
Paper folding
Paper mache
Ex: paper roses, paper mache,
Paper roses
paper art, paper folding
Individual Names
Those without middle names come first
Jose P. Rizal Aquino, Melchora, D.

Andres D. Bonifacio Bonifacio, Andres, D.

Maria Josefa G. Carino Carino, Maria Josefa, G.

Luna, Antonio, N.
Apolinario M. Mabini

Antonio N. Luna Mabini, Apolinario, M.

Melchora D. Aquino Rizal, Jose, P.

Sort by last name, first name, and middle name
Japeth C. Aguilar Abarrientos, Johnny

Japeth Aguilar Aguilar, Japeth

James M. Orme Aguilar, Japeth C.

Aguilar, Raymond
Lewis V. Tenorio

Raymond Aguilar Orme, James, M.

Johnny Abarrientos Tenorio, Lewis, V.

Sort by prefix
Luis Z. dela Cruz Dela Cruz, Luis, Z.

Maria A. San Jose De Guia, Cherry, R.

Antonio M. dela Paz Dela Paz, Antonio M.

Dela Piedra, Juan, H.
Juan H. dela Piedra

Felix P. de los Santos De los Santos, Felix, P.

Cherry R. de Guia San Jose, Maria A.

Treat hyphenated names as one surname
Apple Lojo-Canaplan Alejo-Morales, Nico

Loise Bautista-Salvador Bautista-Salvador, Loise

Sheila Palma-Garcia Delfin-Legazpi, Omar

Lojo-Canaplan, Apple
Theresa Uy-Ramos

Nico Alejo-Morales Palma-Garcia, Sheila

Omar Delfin-Legazpi Uy-Ramos, Theresa

Sort abbreviated names and nicknames as written

A.J. Santos Alejo, Geo

Kit Santos Lopez, Rob Edward

Rob Edward Lopez Romualdez, William

Romualdez, Wm
Geo Alejo

Wm Romualdez Santos, A.J.

William Romualdez Santos, Kit

Sort suffixes in chronological order: oldest first

Robert Antonio Jr. Antonio, Robert

Robert Antonio III Antonio, Robert, Sr.

Robert Antonio Sr. Antonio, Robert, II

Antonio, Robert, Jr.
Robert Antonio IV

Robert Antonio II Antonio, Robert, III

Robert Antonio Antonio, Robert, Iv

Sort suffixes BEFORE titles

Mr. Robert A. Antonio Jr. Antonio, Robert, A, Lt.

Gen. Robert B. Antonio Sr. Antonio, Robert, A, II, Engr.

Dr. Robert B. Antonio Antonio, Robert, A, Jr., Mr.

Antonio, Robert, A, IV, CPA
Robert A. Antonio IV, CPA

Engr. Robert A. Antonio II Antonio, Robert, B, Dr.

Lt. Robert A. Antonio Antonio, Robert, B, Sr., Gen.

Sort religious titles as written

Sister Mary Magdalene Brother Mike

Father Bartholomew Father Bartholomew

Saint Peter Pastor Peter

Saint Peter
Sister Dolores

Brother Mike Sister Dolore

Pastor Peter Sister Mary Magdalene

 Names of
Businesses
with Numbers
File Arabic digits by arithmetical value

123 Stop Shopping Center 7-Eleven

992 Sticks Percussion 7th Street Pharmacy

89 Flavors Ice Cream 89 Flavors Ice Cream

7-Eleven 123 Oil Change

148 Oil Change 148 Stop Shopping Center

992 Sticks Percussion
7th Street Pharmacy
File Roman numerals in arithmetical value

XXV Strikes Stadium XIX Costumes

MMXXIV Coffee and Tea XXV Strikes Stadium

CMXXII Suits and Gowns LVII Accounting Firm

DCVI Stenography
XIX Costumes

DCVI Stenography CMXXII Suits and Gowns

LVII Accounting Firm MMXXIV Coffee and Tea

File Arabic numbers before Roman numerals
Note: sort numbers before the hyphens only; numbers after the hyphen are disregarded

XXV Strikes Stadium 7-11 Convenience Store

31 Flavors Pizza XXV Strikes Stadium

7-11 Convenience Store 31 Flavors Pizza

XDVII Strokes Spa 90-degree Perspectus

360 Peer Review 360 Peer Review

90-degree Perspectus XDVII Strokes Spa

Sort numbers before letters. Ignore -st,-nth, -rd

B12 Vitamin Shop 2nd Glass Wine

2nd Hand Pianos 2nd Hand Pianos

3rd Wheel Bar 3rd Wheel Bar

B1 Health Supplements 360-degree Reviews

2nd Glass Wine B1 Health Supplements

360-degree Reviews B12 Vitamin Shop

If numbers don’t appear at the beginning, sort alphabetically.

YouTube 2nd Channel Best 12 Reviews

Best 12 Reviews Henry 4th’s Vape Shop

Henry 4th’s Vape Shop Henry IV Wine Bar

KM 30 Diner
Henry IV Wine Bar

KM 30 Diner KM Thirty Diner

KM Thirty Diner YouTube 2nd Channel

File spelled out numbers in alphabetical order

Five Oh One Jeans Ellen’s 3-step Overhaul

Ninety Sheeps Eleven Winks Mattress

Seven-11 Laundry Five Oh One Jeans

Ellen’s 3-step Overhaul Ninety Sheeps

Eleven Winks Mattress One-Four-Three

One-Four-Three Seven-11 Laundry

Sort numbers and numerals before alphabetic names

Vistamalls, Inc. 186 Retail Building

Sun Life Financial Inc. 8990 Holdings, Inc.

186 Retail Building Cebu Air, Inc.

GMA Network, Inc.
GMA Network, Inc.

8990 Holdings, Inc. Sun life Financial Inc.

Cebu Air, Inc. Vistamalls, Inc.

 Names of
Businesses
without Numbers
Sort as written

Greenwich Pizza Army Navy

Kenny Rogers Roasters Chowking

Hen Lin Greenwich Pizza

Hen Lin
Chowking

Army Navy Jollibee

Jollibee Kenny Rogers Roasters

Abbreviated words are indexed as written

La Luna Co. La Luna Co.

La Luna Company La Luna Company

Rizal Mfg. Rizal Manufacturing

Rizal Mfg.
Rizal Manufacturing

Some Love Inc. Some Love Inc.

Some Love Incorporated Some Love Incorporated

Letters with spaces: sort by first letter

ABC Kindergarten ABC Kindergarten

A J Electronics A Cj Computer Repair

A Cj Computer Repair A J Electronics

AMV Learning Center
A Ok Supermarket

BPI Family Bank A Ok Supermarket

AMV Learning Center BPI Family Bank

If it starts with “The”, index it last

The Bead Shop Bead Shop | The

The Philippine Star Body Shop | The

The SM Store Electronics Boutique | The

Philippine Star | The
The Travel Club

The Body Shop SM Store | The

The Electronics Boutique Travel Club | The

Ignore punctuations and possessives

Minyang’s Sari-sari Store All-in-One Party Needs

D’ Best! Taxi Dance, Dance, Dance!

All-in-One Party Needs D’ Best! Taxi

Jack-n-Jill Chips
Jack-n-Jill Chips

Shake n’ Roll Minyang’s Sari-sari Store

Dance, Dance, Dance! Shake n’ Roll

 Names of
Businesses
with
Special Characters
Sort special characters as they are spelled. Put “The” last.

F & J Prince Holdings 100 Percent Remit, Inc.

Filsyn Corporation 100 Points Sports Complex
PT&T Corp At Sign Everyone Turo-turo
#1 Filsyn Corporation F and J Prince Holdings
100% Remit, Inc. Filsyn Corporation
The ₱99 Store Number 1 Filsyn Corporation
100 Points Sports Complex Peso 99 Store The
@everyone turo-turo PT and T Corporation
 National
Government
Agencies
Sort by agency
Health | Department | of

Department of Transportation Transportation | Department | of

National Economic and Development Authority Economic and Development | National | Authority

Investigation | National | Bureau | of

Office of the Solicitor General
Solicitor General | Office | of
Department of Health

Bureau of Customs
Customs | Bureau | of

National Bureau of Investigation

 Local
Government
Units
Sort by province, city/town, or baranggay before the unit

Provincial Engineer’s Office, Provincial Government Bulacan | Provincial Government of |

of Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Legal Office,

Provincial Legal Office, Provincial Pangasinan | Provincial Government of | Provincial

Government of Bulacan Budget Office | Administrative Services

Provincial Veterinary Office, Provincial Government Pangasinan | Provincial Government of | Provincial

of Zamboanga City Budget Office | Budget Preparation/Review Services

Administrative Services, Provincial Budget Office, Pangasinan | Provincial Government of | Provincial

Provincial Government of Pangasinan Budget Office | Fiscal Management Services

Budget Preparation/Review Services, Provincial Budget Zamboanga del Sur | Provincial Government of |
Office, Provincial Government of Pangasinan Provincial Engineer’s Office

Fiscal Management Services, Provincial Budget Office, Zamboanga City | Provincial Government of |
Provincial Government of Pangasinan Provincial Veterinary Office
Sort by province, city/town, or baranggay before the unit

Department of Finance Finance | Department of

National Bureau of Investigation GOCCs | Governance Commission

Commission on Human Rights Human Rights | Commission on

Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Information and Communication

Technology | Department of

Governance Commission For GOCCs Investigation | National Bureau of

Department of Information and Communications Liaison Office | Presidential Legislative

Technology
 Foreign
Government
Names
Sort by name of country

Independent State of Papua New Guinea Andorra | Principality of

Kingdom of Thailand Australia | Commonwealth of

Commonwealth of Australia Belgium | Kingdom of

Kingdom of Belgium Malaysia

Malaysia Papua New Guinea | Independent State of

Thailand | Kingdom of
Principality of Andorra