diff --git a/assets/atlas-map.js b/assets/atlas-map.js
index 0defbf64..5c37e285 100644
--- a/assets/atlas-map.js
+++ b/assets/atlas-map.js
@@ -330,8 +330,20 @@
         if (n.indexOf(q) === 0 || n.indexOf(' ' + q) > -1) starts.push(i);
         else if (n.indexOf(q) > -1) contains.push(i);
       }
+      // Rank: match tier first (name/word-start before substring), then
+      // MOST RECENT season first. The old comparator only ordered identical
+      // names and left everything else in file order — and the index is
+      // chronological, so a surname query filled the 8 slots with the
+      // OLDEST namesakes ("Curry" showed Dell and Michael, never Stephen).
+      var tier = {};
+      starts.forEach(function (i) { tier[i] = 0; });
+      contains.forEach(function (i) { tier[i] = 1; });
       var all = starts.concat(contains);
-      all.sort(function (a, b) { return P[a].n === P[b].n ? (P[b].s > P[a].s ? 1 : -1) : 0; });
+      all.sort(function (a, b) {
+        if (tier[a] !== tier[b]) return tier[a] - tier[b];
+        if (P[a].s !== P[b].s) return P[b].s > P[a].s ? 1 : -1;
+        return P[a].n < P[b].n ? -1 : P[a].n > P[b].n ? 1 : 0;
+      });
       results = all.slice(0, 8); active = results.length ? 0 : -1; render();
     });
     input.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index d4ff4773..8558ce76 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ <h2 class="label fig-label" style="margin:0 0 4px">Fresh from the lab <b>· new
 
 <script defer src="/assets/site-nav.js?v=1d646996"></script>
 <script defer src="/assets/mtnn.js?v=81d491f8"></script>
-<script defer src="/assets/atlas-map.js?v=7aad5d98"></script>
+<script defer src="/assets/atlas-map.js?v=d186fea5"></script>
 <script defer src="/assets/career-trails.js?v=a0e9e836"></script>
 <script src="assets/site-facts.js?v=cbb639f4" defer></script>
 <script>
diff --git a/public/assets/atlas-map.js b/public/assets/atlas-map.js
index 0defbf64..5c37e285 100644
--- a/public/assets/atlas-map.js
+++ b/public/assets/atlas-map.js
@@ -330,8 +330,20 @@
         if (n.indexOf(q) === 0 || n.indexOf(' ' + q) > -1) starts.push(i);
         else if (n.indexOf(q) > -1) contains.push(i);
       }
+      // Rank: match tier first (name/word-start before substring), then
+      // MOST RECENT season first. The old comparator only ordered identical
+      // names and left everything else in file order — and the index is
+      // chronological, so a surname query filled the 8 slots with the
+      // OLDEST namesakes ("Curry" showed Dell and Michael, never Stephen).
+      var tier = {};
+      starts.forEach(function (i) { tier[i] = 0; });
+      contains.forEach(function (i) { tier[i] = 1; });
       var all = starts.concat(contains);
-      all.sort(function (a, b) { return P[a].n === P[b].n ? (P[b].s > P[a].s ? 1 : -1) : 0; });
+      all.sort(function (a, b) {
+        if (tier[a] !== tier[b]) return tier[a] - tier[b];
+        if (P[a].s !== P[b].s) return P[b].s > P[a].s ? 1 : -1;
+        return P[a].n < P[b].n ? -1 : P[a].n > P[b].n ? 1 : 0;
+      });
       results = all.slice(0, 8); active = results.length ? 0 : -1; render();
     });
     input.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index d4ff4773..8558ce76 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ <h2 class="label fig-label" style="margin:0 0 4px">Fresh from the lab <b>· new
 
 <script defer src="/assets/site-nav.js?v=1d646996"></script>
 <script defer src="/assets/mtnn.js?v=81d491f8"></script>
-<script defer src="/assets/atlas-map.js?v=7aad5d98"></script>
+<script defer src="/assets/atlas-map.js?v=d186fea5"></script>
 <script defer src="/assets/career-trails.js?v=a0e9e836"></script>
 <script src="assets/site-facts.js?v=cbb639f4" defer></script>
 <script>