In many systems, computerized or manual, we need to find things that have been filed away using a Person’s name, a Customer’s name, a Company name, a Place name, an Address, a File Title, an Author’s name, a Book title, etc. . . All such names are collections of words, numbers and codes that have been used to "label" or "christen" the original real world item.
In the real world we use these names in speech and writing as the labels for "proper nouns" in sentences:
Geoff Holloway lives at 17 Congham Drive, Pymble NSW
Holloway, Geoffrey Norman is the name on loan # 1256347
The Data Clustering Engine V2.21 is used by XYZ Co.
In systems and databases we use such names to find files, transactions, accounts, and any variety of data recorded about the "entity" identified by the name or naming data.
Names are not normally unique. Names when said, written and especially when entered into computer systems are subject to considerable variation and error. You cannot avoid this variation and error. Even if the data on file is "perfect", the "search name" will come from the real world and be subject to natural error and variation.