When a new user is created in AD, a container is created for that user.  The container for that user by default is based on the users first and last name (generally what shows up in the Full Name field when you create the user).  So if you look for a user in Active Directory Users and Computers you usually see the users listed by first name then last name.  See Figure 1.  This is also the default way users and display in the GAL via Outlook.   See Figure 1b

Figure 1. Users displayed by first name then last name.

Figure 1b.    GAL users displays by first name then last name.

Sometimes this is not desired.  In large corporations, you are likely to want the users listed in last name then first name. See Figure 2. 

This change will also allow us to have the GAL formatted by Last Name, First Name.   See Figure 2b.

Figure 2. Users displayed by last name, first name.

Figure 2b.    GAL users displayed by last name, first name

You could flip the Full Name field to last name, then first name when you create the user or do a rename after the fact, but both of these methods are tedious.  You could also just use the Add/Remove columns feature to add the last name field, but you'll find that if you want to use the typedown feature, it will always be based on what is in the Name field. 

A better way to do this is to change how the users are stored in AD by changing the createDialog attribute of the User-Display object to the to use the last name, first name format. 

So how do we do this:

• First Load ADSIEDIT.MSC from the command line or run prompt.
• Connect to the well known Naming Context of "Configuration" and click OK
• Expand the Configuration Container from the ADSI Edit tree.
• Expand the CN=Configuration,DC=YourDomain,DC=com container.
• Expand the displaySpecifiers container
• Select the CN=409 container (409=English, you may need to select a different container if you use a non-english OS)
• In the right pane, scroll down and select the CN=user-Display container.  Right click it and select properties.

Figure 3.  Editing the createDialog attribute.

• Find the attribute called createDialog.  It should have a value of: <Not Set>.  See Figure 3
• Change it to: %<sn>, %<givenName>

Figure 4.  Changing the createDialog attribute.

• Click OK, then OK.
• You may then close ADSIEdit.

So now when we create a new user, it will be created with a Last name, first name format.  If you desire you may also add the initials to the createDialog as well:  %<sn>, %<givenName> %<initials>  The AD users and computers screenshot in Figure 2 uses this createDialog format.

A few things to note:

• This is a domain based global change and can't be configured at an OU level.
• The new createDialog format will be applied to newly created objects.  Existing objects will need to be renamed manually or by script.
• Only sn, givenName, and initials attributes can be used in the createDialog of the user-Display container.
• If you desire to undo this setting and revert back to the old way of creating users, you can just clear the createDialog attribute.  Once again, existing objects will need to be renamed if desired.

I hope this helps.  Let me know what you think.  Please refer to this Microsoft article for supporting information:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998290.aspx