diff --git a/nameparser/parser.py b/nameparser/parser.py
index 9edc905..27e350c 100644
--- a/nameparser/parser.py
+++ b/nameparser/parser.py
@@ -984,11 +984,12 @@ def capitalize(self, force: bool | None = None) -> None:
 
         if not force and not (name == name.upper() or name == name.lower()):
             return
-        self.title_list = self.cap_piece(self.title, 'title').split(' ')
-        self.first_list = self.cap_piece(self.first, 'first').split(' ')
-        self.middle_list = self.cap_piece(self.middle, 'middle').split(' ')
-        self.last_list = self.cap_piece(self.last, 'last').split(' ')
-        self.suffix_list = self.cap_piece(self.suffix, 'suffix').split(', ')
+        self.title_list = self.cap_piece(self.title, 'title').split()
+        self.first_list = self.cap_piece(self.first, 'first').split()
+        self.middle_list = self.cap_piece(self.middle, 'middle').split()
+        self.last_list = self.cap_piece(self.last, 'last').split()
+        # suffix is stored comma-separated ("Ph.D., J.D."), not space-separated
+        self.suffix_list = [s for s in self.cap_piece(self.suffix, 'suffix').split(', ') if s]
 
     def handle_capitalization(self) -> None:
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_capitalization.py b/tests/test_capitalization.py
index a281b81..0b23e4e 100644
--- a/tests/test_capitalization.py
+++ b/tests/test_capitalization.py
@@ -40,6 +40,59 @@ def test_capitization_middle_initial_is_also_a_conjunction(self) -> None:
         hn.capitalize()
         self.m(str(hn), 'Scott E. Werner', hn)
 
+    def test_capitalize_empty_middle_produces_no_leading_space_in_surnames(self) -> None:
+        # str.split(' ') on an empty string returns [''] rather than [], so an
+        # absent middle produced a spurious token that leaked into surnames_list
+        # and caused a leading space in the surnames property (' Doe' not 'Doe').
+        hn = HumanName('john doe')
+        hn.capitalize()
+        self.m(hn.surnames, 'Doe', hn)
+        self.assertEqual(hn.middle_list, [])
+        self.assertEqual(hn.surnames_list, ['Doe'])
+
+    def test_capitalize_force_empty_middle_produces_no_leading_space_in_surnames(self) -> None:
+        # Without force=True, capitalize() exits early for mixed-case names and
+        # never reaches the split lines. Confirm the fix covers that path too.
+        hn = HumanName('Jane Doe')
+        hn.capitalize(force=True)
+        self.m(hn.surnames, 'Doe', hn)
+        self.assertEqual(hn.middle_list, [])
+
+    def test_capitalize_empty_attributes_produce_no_spurious_tokens(self) -> None:
+        # Confirm the fix extends beyond surnames: empty attribute lists are []
+        # not [''], and non-empty ones contain only real tokens.
+        hn = HumanName('Jane Doe')
+        hn.capitalize(force=True)
+        self.assertEqual(hn.title_list, [])
+        self.assertEqual(hn.first_list, ['Jane'])
+        self.assertEqual(hn.last_list, ['Doe'])
+
+    def test_capitalize_title_and_last_only_no_spurious_tokens(self) -> None:
+        # title+last with no first or middle leaves first_list and middle_list
+        # both empty. All-caps triggers capitalize() without force=True.
+        hn = HumanName('DR DOE')
+        hn.capitalize()
+        self.assertEqual(hn.first_list, [])
+        self.assertEqual(hn.middle_list, [])
+        self.m(str(hn), 'Dr Doe', hn)
+
+    def test_capitalize_empty_suffix_produces_no_spurious_tokens(self) -> None:
+        # ''.split(', ') returns [''] just like ''.split(' ') did for the other
+        # attributes — an absent suffix should produce suffix_list == [], not [''].
+        hn = HumanName('JOHN DOE')
+        hn.capitalize()
+        self.assertEqual(hn.suffix_list, [])
+
+    def test_capitalize_single_suffix_still_works(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName('JOHN DOE PHD')
+        hn.capitalize()
+        self.assertEqual(hn.suffix_list, ['Ph.D.'])
+
+    def test_capitalize_multiple_suffixes_still_split_correctly(self) -> None:
+        hn = HumanName('JOHN DOE PHD MD')
+        hn.capitalize()
+        self.assertEqual(hn.suffix_list, ['Ph.D.', 'M.D.'])
+
     # Leaving already-capitalized names alone
     def test_no_change_to_mixed_chase(self) -> None:
         hn = HumanName('Shirley Maclaine')