Useful advice indeed.. Thanks because it did drive me nuts suddenly. I went to the Gmail contacts on the laptop and it does have useful features (like eliminating double entries, and going to the basic entry form to put correctly last/first name) and it worked. For those interested there is an advanced function on the contacts page.
There are a couple of entries that still don't appear correctly but I am about to give it up and accept it. My sister's SO told me on his last three smart phones he has been unable to have properly display the contacts. So I think I am ahead.