What's not in a name. The accuracy of using names to ascribe religious and geographical origin in a British population.

Studies that ascribe ethnic identity by name searching demonstrate variations in perinatal mortality and health service uptake between South Asians* and the general population, and between Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. 2 We conducted a study to explore whether ethnic diVerences in immunisation rates exist in Newcastle upon Tyne, using data held on the Newcastle Child Health Register. In the absence of routinely recorded details of ethnic origin, we ascribed ethnicity using a name search technique. Although name searching has been validated for distinguishing South Asians from Europeans, its accuracy in diVerentiating South Asians of diVerent geographical origin has been called into question. We validated our name search technique as follows.