Van (1-25)

Rule 1-25 says that a last name that contains Van should be entered two ways, once with Van as part of the last name and again with Van treated as if it's a middle name. Here's a comment we received:

I would like to ask a question regarding indexing of names. All last names that have two separate words, St. Cyr, St. James, La Chapelle, etc. are treated as the last name only. Why on Van Names, Van Buren, Van Richtenhoff, Van Gogh, is Van treated as a middle name also. If indexed two ways, last name Buren, first name James Van and also as Van Buren, first name James, isn't that changing the person's name? In the phone book, these names are all listed under Van only and not under Buren with the James Van listed as a first name. Why double index for the Van names and not the other double last names?

The rationale for this rule is that in one registry district, there was a busy developer whose name was James Van Owen (for example). The registry always indexed his last name as "VAN OWEN." Well "Van" was his middle name, like the old movie actor "Van Johnson" so this person's name was indexed incorrectly. Since it is impossible for a clerk at the recording counter to accurately determine whether such a name is part of the last name or simply a middle name, the Registers Association decided, out of an abundance of caution, that such a name should be indexed both ways.