Define and use names in formulas
By using names, you can make your formulas much easier to understand and maintain. You can define a name for a cell range, function, constant, or table. Once you adopt the practice of using names in your workbook, you can easily update, audit, and manage these names.
Name a cell
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Select a cell.
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In the Name Box, type a name.
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Press Enter.
To reference this value in another table, type th equal sign (=) and the Name, then select Enter.
Define names from a selected range
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Select the range you want to name, including the row or column labels.
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Select Formulas > Create from Selection.
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In the Create Names from Selection dialog box, designate the location that contains the labels by selecting the Top row, Left column, Bottom row, or Right column check box.
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Select OK.
Excel names the cells based on the labels in the range you designated.
Use names in formulas
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Select a cell and enter a formula.
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Place the cursor where you want to use the name in that formula.
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Type the first letter of the name, and select the name from the list that appears.
Or, select Formulas > Use in Formula and select the name you want to use.
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Press Enter.
Manage names in your workbook with Name Manager
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On the ribbon, go to Formulas > Name Manager. You can then create, edit, delete, and find all the names used in the workbook.
Name a cell
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Select a cell.
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In the Name Box, type a name.
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Press Enter.
Define names from a selected range
-
Select the range you want to name, including the row or column labels.
-
Select Formulas > Create from Selection.
-
In the Create Names from Selection dialog box, designate the location that contains the labels by selecting the Top row,Left column, Bottom row, or Right column check box.
-
Select OK.
Excel names the cells based on the labels in the range you designated.
Use names in formulas
-
Select a cell and enter a formula.
-
Place the cursor where you want to use the name in that formula.
-
Type the first letter of the name, and select the name from the list that appears.
Or, select Formulas > Use in Formula and select the name you want to use.
-
Press Enter.
Manage names in your workbook with Name Manager
-
On the Ribbon, go to Formulas > Defined Names > Name Manager. You can then create, edit, delete, and find all the names used in the workbook.
In Excel for the web, you can use the named ranges you've defined in Excel for Windows or Mac. Select a name from the Name Box to go to the range's location, or use the Named Range in a formula.
For now, creating a new Named Range in Excel for the web is not available.
Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in Communities.
See Also
Why am I seeing the Name Conflict dialog box in Excel?
Insert a named range into a formula in Excel
Learn more about names in formulas
Apply named ranges to an existing formula
Use structured references in Excel table formulas
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