How to Remove Yourself From PeopleByName

To opt out of PeopleByName, find your listing on peoplebyname.com by browsing your surname or searching your phone number, and note any record ID or listing details shown with it. Then open the site’s removal page (it has long been at peoplebyname.com/remove.php) and follow the steps on that page. The form usually asks for your name, an email address and details identifying the listing. The request should be free. Check back after a week or two, and again every few months, because listings can reappear.

PeopleByName is a simple directory that ties names to phone numbers and addresses. It looks old-fashioned, but its pages can still rank for your name or number, and the details are exactly what a harasser or scammer needs. For a plan covering the other sites that list the same data, see our guide to removing yourself from people-search sites.

What PeopleByName shows about you

A PeopleByName listing typically shows a name alongside a phone number and a city or street address. Some listings reflect old landline directory data, so the details can be years out of date and still point to a real person, such as a parent at a family home.

The site is organized alphabetically by surname and also lets people look up a phone number. That means your listing can be found two ways: by someone who knows your name and by someone who only has your number.

Before you start

• Set up a throwaway email. Use a separate address for privacy requests, not your personal or work inbox.
• List your numbers. Current and old phone numbers, especially any landline you or your household once had.
• List name variations. Maiden names and versions with initials can be listed separately.
• Type the address yourself. Go to peoplebyname.com directly rather than clicking an ad or a third-party “removal” service.

Step by step: the PeopleByName opt out

1. Find your listing. Browse by the first letter of your surname and then your name, or enter your phone number in the site’s search. Open or note every listing that’s yours.
2. Note the listing’s identifier. If the listing shows a record ID, copy it exactly, along with the page URL. Directories like this often use an ID to identify which entry to remove.
3. Open the removal page. Look for the removal link on the site; it has long been at peoplebyname.com/remove.php. We couldn’t load the page to confirm its current fields when we checked in September 2026.
4. Fill in the form. Give the details it asks for, using your throwaway email address. If it asks for a record ID or a reason, paste the ID and keep the reason brief, such as “privacy”.
5. Complete any captcha and submit. Save a screenshot of the confirmation screen.
6. Check your email. If PeopleByName sends a confirmation or verification email, follow its instructions. Check spam folders.
7. Repeat for each listing. Every listing needs its own request.

We couldn’t confirm a processing time on the site itself. After a week or two, search your name and number again. The listing should be gone or no longer show your details.

What the PeopleByName opt out covers and what it doesn’t

Item	Covered?
The listing you submitted	Yes, once processed.
Other listings for you or your number	Only if you submit them too.
Your phone carrier’s or directory’s records	No. Those are separate.
Other people-search and phone lookup sites	No. Each has its own process.
Google’s result for the old listing	Not straight away. Google updates it after recrawling, or sooner with a refresh request.

If the form doesn’t work or a listing stays up, look for a contact or privacy page on PeopleByName for another way to reach the site. If you live in a state with a comprehensive privacy law, you can also send a formal deletion request. Our guide to “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” requests explains how those rights work in general.

If a listing shows a family member, not you

Directories built on old phone data often list a household under one person’s name. Your home address might appear under a parent, a partner or a former roommate, and your own name might not appear at all. The address is still exposed.

A removal form tied to a listing usually expects the listed person’s details, so the simplest route is for that person to submit the request, or for you to help them do it. If the listed person has died, a family member can explain the situation in any reason or message field, or through the site’s contact route. Keep it factual and short.

Also check listings that share your number but a different name. Numbers are reassigned by carriers, so an old listing under a previous owner’s name can now point to your phone. That listing is the one to submit, and a short reason such as “this number now belongs to me and this listing is inaccurate” explains the request.

Where PeopleByName fits in a wider cleanup

PeopleByName is usually one of several phone and address directories showing the same details. If strangers are calling or turning up, work through a checklist rather than one site at a time as problems appear. Start with the sites that rank highest when you search your name and your number, then work down. Our guide on how to remove your address from the internet covers the address side of the same job. Our guides to Neighbor.report and Addresses.com cover two more address lookup sites.

Why phone number listings keep coming back

Phone numbers travel. They appear in old directories, marketing lists, online forms and other people’s contact books that get uploaded to apps. A directory can pick up the same number again from a new source and create a fresh listing.

• Search your name and number on PeopleByName every few months.
• Check again after you move or change numbers.
• Remove any new listing the same way.

To reduce how often your number resurfaces, our guide on how to remove your phone number from the internet covers the main sources and how to cut them off.

Clean up the search result too

A PeopleByName page can keep showing in Google after the listing has changed. Once the page no longer shows your details, use Google’s “Refresh outdated content” tool to ask Google to update or drop the result. Google’s Results about you tool can also alert you when your phone number or home address appears in search results and let you request their removal from Google.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client.

Tom, a retired teacher, gets calls from strangers who seem to know his name and town. A search of his home number brings up a PeopleByName listing showing his name, number and street.

• He notes the listing’s details and submits the removal form using a new email he set up for privacy requests.
• He browses his surname and finds a second, older listing under his late wife’s name at the same address. He removes that too.
• Two weeks later neither listing shows his details. He requests a refresh of the Google result for his number.
• He works through other phone lookup and people-search sites on a checklist, since the number appears on several.

Browsing by surname, not just searching his number, is what surfaced the second listing.

Common mistakes

• Getting the listing details wrong. Copy and paste any ID or URL rather than retyping it.
• Only searching by name. Search your phone numbers too, including old landlines.
• Missing household listings. A parent’s or partner’s listing can show your home address.
• Using your main email. Use a throwaway address.
• Paying for removal. The form shouldn’t cost anything.
• Not re-checking. Numbers resurface from new sources.

When to get help

A PeopleByName opt out takes a few minutes, and most people can do it themselves. Help makes sense when your number and address are spread across many sites, when you’re dealing with harassment or a safety risk, or when these listings are part of a bigger search-result problem. Our data broker opt-out list covers the other sites to check, and our personal reputation management service handles opt-outs, re-checks and wider cleanup, with honest advice about what can be removed.

Frequently asked questions

Is the PeopleByName opt out free?

It should be. You fill in the site’s removal form with the details it asks for. You shouldn’t need a paid account or payment.

Where do I find my PeopleByName record ID?

If the form asks for one, look at your listing when you browse by surname or search your phone number; any ID is usually shown with the record. Copy it exactly and paste it into the removal form.

How long does PeopleByName take to remove a listing?

There’s no set timeline, and we couldn’t confirm one on the site. Check again after a week or two. Google may show the old result longer until it recrawls or you submit a refresh request.

Why is my number back on PeopleByName?

Phone numbers are picked up from many sources, so a new listing can appear. Search again and submit the new listing the same way.