Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style/Lead section/Proposal02

Alternative names
By the design of Wikipedia's software, an article can have only one title. When this title is a name, significant alternative names for the topic should be mentioned in the article, usually in the first sentence or paragraph. These may include alternative spellings, longer or shorter forms, historical names, and significant names in other languages. Indeed, alternative names can be used in article text in contexts where they are more appropriate than the name used as the title of the article. For example, the city now called "Gdańsk" can be referred to as "Danzig" in suited historical contexts. The editor needs to balance the desire to maximize the information available to the reader with the need to maintain readability.

Usage in first sentence
The name of a person is presented in full if known, including any given names that are not included in the article's title or are abbreviated there. For example, the article on Calvin Coolidge gives his name as John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.

In articles about people, literary and artistic works, scientific principles and concepts, and other subjects, the title can be followed in the first line by major alternative names. (The guideline for place names differs in this regard.) Such names may be listed in parentheses or offset by commas, whichever maximizes the clarity of the lead sentence. Decisions about which names to include should reflect consensus. The following are examples of alternative names in the lead sentence.

If an article subject is covered significantly in English-language sources, the standard English-language name(s) should take priority over foreign-language names, especially if there are several. For articles primarily relying on non-English-language sources, the best name should be arrived at via consensus. In any case, less common names, non-Roman-script names, and additional foreign-language names should appear in a footnote or in the body of the article, in order to reduce clutter. They should be labeled appropriately. Such names may include:

Separate section usage
Alternatively, if there are more than two alternative names, these names can be moved to and explained in a "Names" section. Once such a section or paragraph is created, the alternative English or foreign names should not be moved back to the first line. Etymologies or explanations of names generally should not appear in the lead sentence; consider creating an "Etymology" section or adding them to an existing section.