diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 23e673ca..935ca21c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ and this project adheres to
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## Changed
+
+- 🚸(backend) improve users similarity search and sort results #391
+
 ## [1.7.0] - 2024-10-24
 
 ## Added
diff --git a/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py b/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
index 98560eb8..25d56c62 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.postgres.aggregates import ArrayAgg
+from django.contrib.postgres.search import TrigramSimilarity
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.core.files.storage import default_storage
 from django.db.models import (
@@ -156,8 +157,21 @@ class UserViewSet(
 
             # Filter users by email similarity
             if query := self.request.GET.get("q", ""):
+                # For performance reasons we filter first by similarity, which relies on an index,
+                # then only calculate precise similarity scores for sorting purposes
                 queryset = queryset.filter(email__trigram_word_similar=query)
 
+                queryset = queryset.annotate(
+                    similarity=TrigramSimilarity("email", query)
+                )
+                # When the query only is on the name part, we should try to make many proposals
+                # But when the query looks like an email we should only propose serious matches
+                threshold = 0.6 if "@" in query else 0.1
+
+                queryset = queryset.filter(similarity__gt=threshold).order_by(
+                    "-similarity"
+                )
+
         return queryset
 
     @decorators.action(
diff --git a/src/backend/core/tests/test_api_users.py b/src/backend/core/tests/test_api_users.py
index d95153f2..e739d4d1 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/tests/test_api_users.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/tests/test_api_users.py
@@ -69,6 +69,48 @@ def test_api_users_list_query_email():
     assert user_ids == [str(nicole.id), str(frank.id)]
 
 
+def test_api_users_list_query_email_matching():
+    """While filtering by email, results should be filtered and sorted by similarity"""
+    user = factories.UserFactory()
+
+    client = APIClient()
+    client.force_login(user)
+
+    alice = factories.UserFactory(email="alice.johnson@example.gouv.fr")
+    factories.UserFactory(email="jane.smith@example.gouv.fr")
+    michael_wilson = factories.UserFactory(email="michael.wilson@example.gouv.fr")
+    factories.UserFactory(email="david.jones@example.gouv.fr")
+    michael_brown = factories.UserFactory(email="michael.brown@example.gouv.fr")
+    factories.UserFactory(email="sophia.taylor@example.gouv.fr")
+
+    response = client.get(
+        "/api/v1.0/users/?q=michael.johnson@example.gouv.f",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    user_ids = [user["id"] for user in response.json()["results"]]
+    assert user_ids == [str(michael_wilson.id)]
+
+    response = client.get("/api/v1.0/users/?q=michael.johnson@example.gouv.fr")
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    user_ids = [user["id"] for user in response.json()["results"]]
+    assert user_ids == [str(michael_wilson.id), str(alice.id), str(michael_brown.id)]
+
+    response = client.get(
+        "/api/v1.0/users/?q=ajohnson@example.gouv.f",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    user_ids = [user["id"] for user in response.json()["results"]]
+    assert user_ids == [str(alice.id)]
+
+    response = client.get(
+        "/api/v1.0/users/?q=michael.wilson@example.gouv.f",
+    )
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    user_ids = [user["id"] for user in response.json()["results"]]
+    assert user_ids == [str(michael_wilson.id)]
+
+
 def test_api_users_list_query_email_exclude_doc_user():
     """
     Authenticated users should be able to list users