To sort iPhone contacts by first name or last name, open Settings > Apps > Contacts > Sort Order and choose First Name or Last Name. The separate Display Order setting changes the order of the names as they appear on screen, not the alphabetical key. Apple documents these controls in its iPhone and iPad contacts guide.
Sort iPhone contacts by first name or last name
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Contacts.
- Tap Sort Order.
- Choose First Name to alphabetize by given name, or Last Name to alphabetize by surname.
Apple’s current path is Settings > Apps > Contacts; its iPhone User Guide also points to that Contacts settings screen for sorting and display options. Labels or navigation may differ on older iOS releases or in a localized interface.
Sort Order versus Display Order
These two settings answer different questions. Sort Order determines which part of the name the contacts list uses for alphabetical sorting. Display Order determines whether the first name or last name appears first when a contact’s name is shown.
If you want the list alphabetized by surname but still want names displayed with the first name first, select Last Name under Sort Order and set Display Order to the preferred name format.
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What Short Name changes
Short Name is another separate option in Contacts settings. It affects how names are presented in apps such as Mail, Messages, and Phone; it does not choose the alphabetical key for the contacts list. Apple describes Sort Order, Display Order, and Short Name in its contacts settings instructions.
If the list still does not look as expected
- If contacts are alphabetized by the wrong part of the name, check Sort Order.
- If the list is sorted as intended but names read surname-first or given-name-first, adjust Display Order.
- If names look abbreviated or formatted differently in Mail, Messages, or Phone, review Short Name.
Apple’s published instructions confirm alphabetical sorting by first or last name, but do not specify tie-breaking rules, locale-specific alphabetization, or how incomplete names and company-only cards are handled. If one of those cases is causing an unexpected position, the documented controls do not establish why.
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Changing sort order on iCloud.com
Sorting contacts on iCloud.com is a separate workflow, not the iPhone Settings app method. Apple says to use Contacts on iCloud.com on a tablet or computer, open the sidebar’s Settings control, choose Sort Order and Display Order, then save. See Apple’s iCloud.com Contacts guide.
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