Even if all you have is a name, you can possibly locate that person through free and fee-based resources
When all you have is a name, and you'd like to locate that person, there are resources that let you look up or search for that person's current address, phone number, email address and other contact information (such as a website address). Many resources are free, while for others you might pay a minimal fee.
Instructions
1. Conduct a reverse name search. Because Google is the most extensive free public search engine available, it's advantageous to use it for a reverse name search. Go to Google.com, enter the person's name in the field (if you also know a city, enter that too in the format "Sally Smith CityName"), and press the "Google Search" button. The results are all online sites and documents where Google found instances of that name/city (for example, the name/city might be found in a website or social networking site). To find a possible location or other contact information for that person, click on a link and review its contents.
2. Conduct a search in a people search engine. For example, Pipl is a deep Web people search engine (its Web crawlers find information often missed by more commonly used search engines). Go to Pipl.com, enter the first and last names (optionally enter a city or state), and press the "Search" button. The results include findings of that person's name in photos, social networking sites, reunion sites, professional business sites and more. Click on one of the results and review its contents for an address or other contact information for that person (for example, you might recognize a photo of that person--click on the photo and review that site for a mailing address, email address and other contact information).
3. Check social networking sites. There are specialized search engines that search for information in multiple social networking sites at once. For example, go to Spokeo.com, enter the person's name and press the "Search" button. All instances of that name display as links (associated to states) in the left column. Click on a link (which may list additional links for that name associated with different cities in that state--if so, click a city link). Information for that person, such as an address, display in the "Profile" column on the right.
4. Look up inmates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. If it appears the person may have disappeared, consider checking the inmate listings at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Go to Bop.gov, click on the "Inmate Locator" link in the left column, enter the name in the "Search by Name" box and click the "Search" button.
5. Search the Social Security Death Index. This database contains the names, and other information (such as relatives' names and last known addresses), for people whose deaths have been reported to the Social Security Administration. If a person died before 1962, most likely that name will not be found because the database did not exist before then. To search for a name, go to Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com and follow the instructions.
6. Call directory assistance. The most up-to-date resource for current phone numbers is still directory assistance. If you know the city where the person lives (or lived), call directory assistance for that city (dial 411) and give the operator the person's full name and city. If there are no listings for that full name (and if it's a not a common name, such as Smith), ask for other listings with that same surname (one of these might be a relative of the person you're trying to locate). Call these other numbers, introduce yourself, explain who you're trying to locate, and ask if this person might be a relative and can help you with your search. There is typically a minimal charge for each 411 call.
7. Hire a private investigator. Investigators have the skill, background and resources to locate people based on minimal data, such as only a name. To find an experienced investigator, contact your state professional private investigator association, and request an investigator who specializes in finding people.
