What is CNAM?
CNAM stands for Caller Name Delivery (also known as CNAP: Caller Name Presentation). It’s used mainly in US and Canadian telephone networks to show the name of the caller along with their number.
This is the name you might see on your phone when someone calls, like:
“John Smith” or “Acme Ltd.”
If the name is missing, blocked, or unavailable, you might instead see:
“Restricted”, “Not available”, or something similar.
How does CNAM work?
In the USA:
-
The caller’s name is not sent during the call
-
Instead, the receiving carrier performs a lookup based on the phone number
-
This lookup checks a shared CNAM database
-
If the number is listed with another provider, the carrier pays a small dip fee to access it
So the name you see depends entirely on the receiving carrier and their data source.
Issues can happen when:
-
The carrier doesn’t perform a lookup
-
The database has old or wrong data
-
The number is new and hasn’t been updated
-
The caller spoofs a fake name
Large US carriers (ILECs) often have better databases and are more likely to pay for accurate lookup results.
In Canada:
-
The caller name can be added by the carrier or set directly from the caller’s own system (like a PBX)
-
This is allowed as long as it doesn’t violate rules on spoofing or fraud
-
In this case, the name can be controlled more easily
Can Voyced set a caller name?
Yes, we can set a name for the numbers you use to make outbound calls. You just need to request this from us.
However, due to how CNAM works:
-
We cannot guarantee that the name will show on the receiver’s phone
-
Whether it appears depends on the destination country, the receiver’s phone network, and whether they perform a CNAM lookup
So while we’ll set the name for you as requested, there’s no way to ensure it will always be visible on the other end.
Why might the wrong name appear?
-
The receiving carrier didn’t perform a CNAM lookup
-
Their data is outdated or incorrect
-
The number has changed hands recently
-
The name was deliberately spoofed
If you'd like us to set a caller name for one of your numbers, just let us know, we’ll be happy to apply it.
With help of the source: Wikipedia
Last updated: 01/04/2025
© Voyced
All information provided is copyrighted and purely informative in nature. It is maintained by Voyced with the greatest of care using reliable sources only.
Given the fast evolution of the telecom sector, Voyced does not offer any guarantee about the accuracy and completeness of the information offered.
We explicitly do not give anyone permission to use this information in any other way than to inform themselves about what (legal) requirements there may be and they need to comply with when registering Services and/or DIDs with Voyced.
