Names

Names["string"]

gives a list of the names of symbols that match the string.

Names[patt]

gives a list of names matching the arbitrary string pattern patt.

Names[{patt1,patt2,…}]

gives a list of names matching any of the patti.

Details and Options

  • Names["string"] gives the same list of names as ?string.
  • Names returns a list of strings corresponding to the names of symbols.
  • The pattern patt can be given as a string with metacharacters, as StringExpression[…] or as RegularExpression["regex"].
  • The string can contain the following metacharacters:
  • *match zero or more characters
    @match one or more characters, but not uppercase letters
  • Names["context`*"] lists all symbols in the specified context.
  • With SpellingCorrection->True, Names includes names that differ in a small fraction of their characters from those specifically requested.
  • With IgnoreCase->True or SpellingCorrection->True, Names treats lowercase and uppercase letters as equivalent when matching names.
  • Names includes any names with a matching context alias by default. With ResolveContextAliasesFalse, only non-aliased matching names will be returned. »
  • Names[] lists all names in all contexts.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Get the names of symbols starting with List:

Get the names of all system symbols:

The set of those that have the Orderless attribute:

Scope  (3)

Find all 2-character system functions using StringExpression:

Find all 3-character system functions using RegularExpression:

Get all symbols that start with $ or with Plot:

Options  (3)

IgnoreCase  (1)

Ignore the case when doing a search for a name:

ResolveContextAliases  (1)

Names resolves context aliases by default:

Use the ResolveContextAliases option to prevent alias resolution:

SpellingCorrection  (1)

Return closely matching names:

Wolfram Research (1988), Names, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html (updated 2021).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Names, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html (updated 2021).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Names." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Names. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_names, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Names}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html}", note=[Accessed: 05-July-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_names, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Names}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Names.html}, note=[Accessed: 05-July-2025 ]}