CNAM (Caller Name Delivery)
Short answer: CNAM (caller ID name) is the label shown next to an incoming phone number, mostly within the US and Canada. That name never travels with the call itself — instead, the receiving carrier queries a CNAM database using the caller's number and displays up to 15 characters.
Since CNAM is a lookup the receiving carrier performs on its own, whether a name shows up — and in what form — hinges on that carrier and its database entry.
How it works
Whoever owns the number registers a display name with a CNAM database provider beforehand. Once a call comes in, the terminating carrier looks up the calling number in a database and shows whatever it finds, usually paying a small fee per query. Name display is rarer and handled differently outside North America.
What affects whether a name appears
- The receiving carrier: some run CNAM lookups automatically, some bill the subscriber for it, and others skip the feature entirely.
- The database record: when nothing is registered against the number, the display may fall back to just a city and state, or the bare number.
- Contact lists: a name already stored on the phone will typically take priority over the CNAM result.
- Length and format: a CNAM name tops out at 15 characters, forcing longer business names to be truncated.
CNAM vs caller ID number vs STIR/SHAKEN
All three of these terms touch on how an incoming call gets identified, though each one deals with a different slice of the information.
| Term | What it carries | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Caller ID number | The calling phone number | Sent in the call signaling by the originating side |
| CNAM | A display name of up to 15 characters | Looked up by the receiving carrier in a CNAM database |
| STIR/SHAKEN | A signed attestation that the caller may use the number | Added by the originating provider and verified by the receiving one |
Does SMS Conecta offer it?
As already noted, registering a CNAM name sits outside what SMS Conecta offers. What does show up on SMS Conecta calls is the raw phone number acting as caller ID, and the web dialer gives you the choice of which of your numbers appears on any given outgoing call.
How it applies to SMS Conecta
CNAM registration falls outside the SMS Conecta feature set. SMS Conecta numbers rely on the raw phone number itself as caller ID, and the web dialer lets you select which number gets displayed.
Related terms
- Caller ID
- STIR/SHAKEN
- Local number
Frequently asked questions
Are CNAM and caller ID the same thing?
Caller ID is just the number; CNAM is the optional name fetched for that number.
Can a CNAM name be assigned to a SMS Conecta number?
No — CNAM doesn't appear among the SMS Conecta features.
Why does the wrong caller name sometimes appear?
It usually comes down to the receiving carrier pulling from a stale or different CNAM database.
Does the caller name come through STIR/SHAKEN?
No. STIR/SHAKEN only confirms that the caller is authorized to use the number; any name still has to come from a CNAM lookup or a branded-calling service.
Does CNAM work outside the US and Canada?
Not really — it's largely a North American system; elsewhere, carrier-supplied names are uncommon and, when present, work differently.
What's the character limit for a CNAM name?
A CNAM display name tops out at 15 characters, spaces included.
Related pages
- caller ID
- STIR/SHAKEN
- local numbers
- US phone number from abroad
- Canada phone number from abroad
- US numbers
- G.711 Codec (PCMU and PCMA)
Sources
- FCC: Caller ID and Spoofing (as of September 2026)
- FCC: Combating Spoofed Robocalls with Caller ID Authentication (as of September 2026)
- Wikipedia: Caller ID (as of September 2026)