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If names look like nonsense after a CSV-to-vCard conversion, check two separate things: the character encoding and the field mapping. Use a CSV-aware parser, map name columns deliberately, and generate the vCard version your receiving app supports. For vCard 4.0, the file must use UTF-8 and each contact must include both VERSION and FN. Preview a small sample in the destination app before importing the full list.

Why CSV-to-vCard imports garble names

A CSV file is a set of delimited fields, not a universal contact schema. A column called Name does not automatically tell a converter whether its value is a given name, family name, or the display name. RFC 4180 describes common CSV syntax but also notes that implementations differ because there is no single specification. RFC 4180

Encoding problems change the characters

If accented or non-Latin characters become unreadable symbols, the source file may have been decoded using a different character set from the one used to save or import it. CSV does not have a universal charset mandate in RFC 4180, so the right handling can depend on the application that created the file and the importer reading it.

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For Outlook CSV imports, Microsoft recommends UTF-8 and advises checking the sample contacts; cancel the import if the text is not readable. Its Excel recovery guidance is to import the source using the encoding that displays the text correctly, verify the result, then save it as “CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv).” These are Microsoft’s instructions for its workflow, not a guarantee about every spreadsheet or contacts app. Microsoft’s Outlook CSV instructions

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Mapping problems move otherwise readable text

If the name remains readable but appears in the wrong part of the contact, the issue is more likely column mapping than character decoding. A converter needs to know which source values represent given name, middle or additional names, family name, prefix, suffix, and the complete display name.

CSV parsing problems shift fields

Commas, double quotes, and line breaks can be part of a valid CSV field. RFC 4180 describes enclosing such fields in double quotes and doubling a quote inside a quoted field. A converter that simply splits each row at every comma can shift values into the wrong columns, affecting names and other contact details. Use a CSV-aware parser rather than a simple comma split. RFC 4180

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What vCard version and encoding to use

vCard 4.0 requires UTF-8; its charset cannot be overridden. RFC 6350 also requires a VERSION property immediately after BEGIN:VCARD, and every vCard object must have an FN property containing the formatted name. The N property stores structured name components in this order: family, given, additional, prefixes, and suffixes, separated by semicolons. RFC 6350

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BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:4.0
N:Smith;Jane;;;
FN:Jane Smith
END:VCARD

This example shows the basic relationship between the structured name and display name; it is not a complete CSV conversion recipe. Preserve the components actually present in the source rather than inferring missing ones.

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Do not assume every receiving app accepts vCard 4.0 just because RFC 6350 defines it. Older vCard specifications remain in use, and the official Google and Microsoft help pages cited here do not provide a comprehensive compatibility matrix for versions and applications. Check the destination app’s current documentation if it requires a particular version.

Map names without guessing

When the CSV has separate name columns

Map each source column to its matching vCard component. For example, a given-name column belongs in the given-name component of N, while the family-name column belongs in the family-name component. Set FN to the display name you want the destination app to show; do not assume it will be constructed exactly as you expect from N.

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Google’s contact template distinguishes Name Prefix, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Name Suffix, and File. Google advises keeping the template header row so its import can place fields correctly. Google Contacts import instructions

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When the CSV has one full-name column

Do not split a single full name by assuming the final word is always the family name. The cited standards and platform instructions do not establish a universal rule for name order across cultures. Preserve the original full name, and use human review or destination-specific rules if the receiving app requires structured components.

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When names include punctuation or line breaks

Test the parser with representative rows, including names with accents or non-Latin characters and fields containing commas, quotes, or line breaks. Keep the header-to-value relationship intact; otherwise, even correctly encoded text can be assigned to the wrong field.

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A safe conversion and import workflow

  1. Keep an untouched copy of the CSV. Work on a duplicate so you can return to the original if a conversion or encoding change produces a bad result.
  2. Inspect the header and the names in a spreadsheet or source app. Confirm which columns hold which name components. If text is already garbled, identify the source encoding that displays it correctly before saving a UTF-8 CSV.
  3. Retain headers and map fields explicitly. When using Google’s template workflow, leave its header row in place. Map available prefix, given, middle/additional, family, suffix, and display-name fields deliberately.
  4. Use a CSV-aware parser. It must handle quoted commas, embedded double quotes, and line breaks rather than treating every comma as a column boundary.
  5. Generate the version required by the receiving app. If generating vCard 4.0, use UTF-8, include VERSION:4.0 immediately after BEGIN:VCARD, include FN, and populate N with the structured components available from the CSV.
  6. Import a small sample first. Check accented and non-Latin names, punctuation, display order, structured fields, and other contact details in the destination app. Outlook provides a sample-contact preview in its documented CSV workflow; Google documents importing CSV and vCard files but does not describe the same preview step on the cited help page.
  7. Proceed with the full list only after the sample looks right. If the sample is wrong, cancel rather than letting a bad mapping or decoding affect the entire contact list.

What the documented import routes establish

Destination workflow Documented guidance What it does not establish
Google Contacts Google documents importing .csv and .vcf files and recommends retaining the template header row for field placement. Google Contacts import instructions The cited page does not give a comprehensive vCard-version compatibility matrix or describe the same sample preview step as Outlook.
Outlook CSV import Microsoft recommends UTF-8 and provides a sample-contact check; its instructions say to cancel if the displayed text is unreadable. Microsoft Outlook CSV instructions This CSV guidance does not establish that every Outlook version accepts every vCard version or property identically.

These routes illustrate why the receiving application matters: they document different checks and file handling. Confirm the destination’s own current requirements rather than treating one app’s behavior as universal.

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