Regular Expressions 101

Explanation

Pro

Definition Group(?(DEFINE) (?# Definitions ) (?<valid_nameChars>[\p{L}\p{Nl}]) (?<valid_nonNameChars>[^\p{L}\p{Nl}\p{Zs}]) (?<valid_startFirstName>(?![a-z])[\p{L}']) (?<valid_upperChar>(?![a-z])\p{L}) (?<valid_nameSeparatorsSoft>[\p{Pd}']) (?<valid_nameSeparatorsHard>\p{Zs}) (?<valid_nameSeparators>(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)) (?# Invalid combinations ) (?<invalid_startChar>^[\p{Zs}a-z]) (?<invalid_endChar>.*[^\p{L}\p{Nl}.\p{C}]$) (?<invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol>.*(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)(?&valid_nonNameChars)(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)) (?<invalid_overTwoUpper>(?:(?&valid_nameChars)*\p{Lu}){3}) (?<invalid>(?&invalid_startChar)|(?&invalid_endChar)|(?&invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol)|(?&invalid_overTwoUpper)) (?# Valid combinations ) (?<valid_name>(?:(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*(?&valid_nameChars)+(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*)+\.?) (?<valid_firstName>(?&valid_startFirstName)(?:\.|(?&valid_name)*)) (?<valid_multipleName>(?&valid_firstName)(?=.*(?&valid_nameSeparators)(?&valid_upperChar))(?:(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)(?&valid_name))+) (?<valid>(?&valid_multipleName)|(?&valid_firstName)) )

Comment: Definitions

Group valid_nameChars(?<valid_nameChars>[\p{L}\p{Nl}])

Character Class[\p{L}\p{Nl}]

\p{L}any Unicode letter

\p{Nl}a letterlike numeric character, such as a Roman numeral

Group valid_nonNameChars(?<valid_nonNameChars>[^\p{L}\p{Nl}\p{Zs}])

Negated Character Class[^\p{L}\p{Nl}\p{Zs}]

\p{L}any Unicode letter

\p{Nl}a letterlike numeric character, such as a Roman numeral

\p{Zs}a space separator with non-zero width

Group valid_startFirstName(?<valid_startFirstName>(?![a-z])[\p{L}'])

Negative Lookahead(?![a-z])

Character Class[a-z]

a-zone character from a (97₁₀) to z (122₁₀) (case sensitive)

Character Class[\p{L}']

\p{L}any Unicode letter

'the literal ' (39₁₀ / 47₈ / 27₁₆)

Group valid_upperChar(?<valid_upperChar>(?![a-z])\p{L})

Negative Lookahead(?![a-z])

Character Class[a-z]

a-zone character from a (97₁₀) to z (122₁₀) (case sensitive)

\p{L}any Unicode letter

Group valid_nameSeparatorsSoft(?<valid_nameSeparatorsSoft>[\p{Pd}'])

Character Class[\p{Pd}']

\p{Pd}a dash or hyphen punctuation mark

'the literal ' (39₁₀ / 47₈ / 27₁₆)

Group valid_nameSeparatorsHard(?<valid_nameSeparatorsHard>\p{Zs})

\p{Zs}a space separator with non-zero width

Group valid_nameSeparators(?<valid_nameSeparators>(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard))

1st Alternative(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft)

(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft)calls group valid_nameSeparatorsSoft as a subroutine

2nd Alternative(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)

(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)calls group valid_nameSeparatorsHard as a subroutine

Comment: Invalid combinations

Group invalid_startChar(?<invalid_startChar>^[\p{Zs}a-z])

^start of line

Character Class[\p{Zs}a-z]

\p{Zs}a space separator with non-zero width

a-zone character from a (97₁₀) to z (122₁₀) (case sensitive)

Group invalid_endChar(?<invalid_endChar>.*[^\p{L}\p{Nl}.\p{C}]$)

.*any character (except for line terminators), repeated any number of times

Negated Character Class[^\p{L}\p{Nl}.\p{C}]

\p{L}any Unicode letter

\p{Nl}a letterlike numeric character, such as a Roman numeral

.the literal . (46₁₀ / 56₈ / 2E₁₆)

\p{C}a control, format, surrogate, private-use, or unassigned code point

$end of line

Group invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol(?<invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol>.*(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)(?&valid_nonNameChars)(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard))

.*any character (except for line terminators), repeated any number of times

(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)calls group valid_nameSeparatorsHard as a subroutine

(?&valid_nonNameChars)calls group valid_nonNameChars as a subroutine

(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)calls group valid_nameSeparatorsHard as a subroutine

Group invalid_overTwoUpper(?<invalid_overTwoUpper>(?:(?&valid_nameChars)*\p{Lu}){3})

Non-Capturing Group(?:(?&valid_nameChars)*\p{Lu}){3}

{3}repeats the group contents below exactly 3 times:

(?&valid_nameChars)*calls group valid_nameChars as a subroutine, repeated any number of times

\p{Lu}an uppercase letter

Group invalid(?<invalid>(?&invalid_startChar)|(?&invalid_endChar)|(?&invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol)|(?&invalid_overTwoUpper))

Comment: Valid combinations

Group valid_name(?<valid_name>(?:(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*(?&valid_nameChars)+(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*)+\.?)

Group valid_firstName(?<valid_firstName>(?&valid_startFirstName)(?:\.|(?&valid_name)*))

Group valid_multipleName(?<valid_multipleName>(?&valid_firstName)(?=.*(?&valid_nameSeparators)(?&valid_upperChar))(?:(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)(?&valid_name))+)

Group valid(?<valid>(?&valid_multipleName)|(?&valid_firstName))

^start of line

Negative Lookahead(?!(?&invalid))

(?&valid)calls group valid as a subroutine

$end of line

Global pattern flags

g modifier: global. Finds all matches instead of stopping after the first

m modifier: multiline. Causes ^ and $ to match the start and end of each line, not only the start and end of the string

x modifier: extended. Ignores unescaped whitespace and comments outside character classes

Match Information

Detailed match information will be displayed here automatically.

Quick Reference

25 tokens

Regular Expression

(?(DEFINE)
    (?# Definitions )
    (?<valid_nameChars>[\p{L}\p{Nl}])
    (?<valid_nonNameChars>[^\p{L}\p{Nl}\p{Zs}])
    (?<valid_startFirstName>(?![a-z])[\p{L}'])
    (?<valid_upperChar>(?![a-z])\p{L})
    (?<valid_nameSeparatorsSoft>[\p{Pd}'])
    (?<valid_nameSeparatorsHard>\p{Zs})
    (?<valid_nameSeparators>(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard))
    (?# Invalid combinations )
    (?<invalid_startChar>^[\p{Zs}a-z])
    (?<invalid_endChar>.*[^\p{L}\p{Nl}.\p{C}]$)
    (?<invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol>.*(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard)(?&valid_nonNameChars)(?&valid_nameSeparatorsHard))
    (?<invalid_overTwoUpper>(?:(?&valid_nameChars)*\p{Lu}){3})
    (?<invalid>(?&invalid_startChar)|(?&invalid_endChar)|(?&invalid_unaccompaniedSymbol)|(?&invalid_overTwoUpper))
    (?# Valid combinations )
    (?<valid_name>(?:(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*(?&valid_nameChars)+(?:(?&valid_nameChars)|(?&valid_nameSeparatorsSoft))*)+\.?)
    (?<valid_firstName>(?&val

New

== 1NcOrrect N4M3S ==
CAPITAL LETTER
AlTeRnAtE LeTtEr
Natalia maria
Natalia aria
Natalia orea
Maria dornelas
Samuel eto'
Miguel lasagna
Antony1 de Home Ap*ril
Ap*ril Willians
Antony_ de Home Apr+il
Ant_ony de Home Apr#il
Antony@ de Ho@me Apr^il
Maria  Silva
Maria silva
maria Silva
 Maria Silva
Maria Silva 
Maria / Silva
Maria . Silva
John W8

==Correct Names==
Urxan Əbűlhəsənzadə
İsmət Jafarov
Şükür Hagverdiyev
Űmid Abdurrahimov
Ġerardo Seralta
Ċikku Paris
Hind ibn Sheik
Colop-U-Uichikin
Lażżru Role
Alaksiej Taraškievič
Petruso Husoǔski
Sumu-la-El
Valeh ßlÿsgÿroğlu
'Arab al-Rashayida
Tariq al-Hashimi
Nabeeh el-Mady
Tariq Al-Hashimi
Brian O'Conner
Maria da Silva
Maria Silva
Maria G. Silva
Maria McDuffy
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas
Maria das Flores
John Smith
John D'Largy
John Doe-Smith
John Doe Smith
Hector Sausage-Hausen
Mathias d'Arras
Martin Luther King Jr.
Ai Wong
Chao Chang
Alzbeta Bara
Marcos Assunção
Maria da Silva e Silva
Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira
Maria da Costa e Silva
Samue