Method and apparatus for accessing alphanumeric data, such as a person's first name, last name, and telephone number, from a database using information provided by keypads and, in particular, from numeric keypads (110), which information relates to characters from the person's first name and/or characters from the person's last name. Specifically, the inventive apparatus includes: (a) function keypads (115) which identify the input as to last name or first name; (b) numeric keypads (110) for receiving input related to either the first name or the last name; (c) means for grouping input information which relates to the first name and to the last name; (d) means for searching the database by means of the portions of the first and last name and identifying the part of the database which matches the portions thereof; and (e) means for displaying (120) the identified part of the database.