---
title: "SQL: customer names beginning with su"
subject: "Database Management System"
chapter: 3
key: "semester_6/database_management_system:sql-customer-name-like-su"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/database_management_system/sql-customer-name-like-su
site: BCT Engineering
---

# SQL: customer names beginning with su

Database Management System · Chapter 3: Relational Languages & Relational Model

- Asked in: year not given
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/database_management_system/sql-customer-name-like-su
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/database_management_system/chapter-3

## Question

Consider database schema:
Account (acc_no, branch_name, balance)
Branch (branch_name, branch_city, assets)
Customer (customer_name, customer_street, customer_city)
Loan (loan_no, branch_name, amount)
Depositor (customer_name, acc_no)
Borrower (customer_name, loan_no)
List customer name whose name begins with 'su'.

## Short answer

Use SELECT customer_name FROM Customer WHERE customer_name LIKE 'su%'; for case-insensitive matching, apply LOWER(customer_name) LIKE 'su%'.

## Answer

Use the `LIKE` operator with the `%` wildcard (`%` matches any string of zero or more characters, `_` matches exactly one character).

```sql
SELECT customer_name
FROM   Customer
WHERE  customer_name LIKE 'su%';
```

`'su%'` means: starts with "su", followed by anything.

Case matters in some systems. In standard SQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL, `LIKE` is case sensitive, so names stored as "Sujan" need `'Su%'`. (MySQL with its default collation and SQLite ignore case.) To match either case in every system, write:

```sql
SELECT customer_name
FROM   Customer
WHERE  LOWER(customer_name) LIKE 'su%';
```

**Sample (tested in SQLite):** with customers Sujan, Ram and Suman, the query returns Sujan and Suman.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What does % match?
   A. Exactly one
   B. Digits
   C. Nothing
   D. Any string of zero or more characters
   Answer: D. % is multi-character. (Key point: Wildcard)

2. What does 'su%' mean?
   A. Ends with su
   B. Starts with su
   C. Contains su
   D. Exactly su
   Answer: B. su followed by anything. (Key point: Pattern)

3. How to match either case?
   A. LIKE 'SU%' only
   B. CASE
   C. IN
   D. LOWER(customer_name) LIKE 'su%'
   Answer: D. Convert to lowercase first. (Key point: Case)

## Close variants set in other exams

- [SQL: customer name and address](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-customer-name-address) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: number of accounts per branch](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-count-accounts-branch) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: branch city with assets over 1000000](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-branch-assets-million) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: customer, branch, account details](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-natural-join-details) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: branches with avg balance over 50000](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-avg-balance-branch) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: customers with account in Dharan](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-customers-dharan-branch) — Database Management System, chapter 3

## Related in Database Management System

- [SQL: create tables for bank schema](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-create-tables-bank) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: create and use bank database](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-create-database-bank) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [SQL: increase balances by 100% and 50%](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Asql-update-balance-rates) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [RA: count accounts in each branch](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Ara-count-accounts-branch) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [RA: increase loans over 10000](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Ara-increase-loan-10) — Database Management System, chapter 3
- [RA: delete loans under 1000](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fdatabase_management_system%3Ara-delete-small-loans) — Database Management System, chapter 3