3 Simple Ways to Name a Column in Microsoft Excel

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Easy ways to title, label, or name columns in Microsoft Excel

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• Adding Column Headers
|
• Changing Column Names to Numbers
|
• Using Power Query
|
• Video

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You can create a column title in Microsoft Excel by inserting a new row at the top. Once it's created, you'll just need to double-click the cell and type in your label. Here's how to name a column in Excel.

Quick Steps

1. Click a row number to highlight the entire row.
2. Right-click the first cell and click Insert.
3. Double-click the new cell and enter a name.
4. Press Tab to enter a name for the next cell.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adding Column Headers

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1. 
   1
   Open a workbook in Microsoft Excel. You can use an existing project or create a new spreadsheet. Make sure you're on the correct worksheet.

   • Microsoft Excel is available on Windows and Mac. You can also use the online web version at https://www.office.com/.
2. 
   2
   Insert a new row for the names. If you want it at the very top of the page, click 1 on the left side of the spreadsheet to highlight the entire first row. Right-click the first cell, and click Insert. This will place a blank row above your data.

   • If you want the new row in another location, select the row number of the location. Right-click the first cell, and click Insert.
   • If you already have a row for the names, skip to the next step.
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3. 
   3
   Double-click the first cell and enter a name. This will be the title of the first column.
4. 
   4
   Double-click the next cell and enter a name. You can also press Tab to skip to the next cell in the column. Repeat this for any remaining title cells.

   • If you only have one column to name, skip this step.
   • The headers at the top (letters A-Z) will not change since these are Excel’s way of keeping track of information within your document. However, when you type in a name for column A1, that will become the name for the rest of the “A” column.
   • If you want to see the titles as you scroll down, do the following:
     • Click View at the top.
     • Click Freeze Panes.
     • Click Freeze Top Row.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Changing Column Names to Numbers

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1. 
   1
   Open Microsoft Excel. You can use an existing project or create a new spreadsheet.

   • Use this method if you want to turn the column names (letters A-Z) into numbers instead.
2. 
   2
   Select File and click Options. This will be at the bottom of the left panel.

   • On Mac, you'll need to click Excel and then Preferences.
3. 
   3
   Click Formulas. This is in the left panel.

   • On Mac, click General.
4. 
   4
   Check the box for "R1C1 reference style". This is underneath the Working with formulas header.
5. 
   5
   Click OK. This is at the bottom-right corner of the window.

   • The header columns will change from letters to numbers.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Power Query

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1. 
   1
   Open the Power Query Editor. Power Query is an add-on you can use in Excel. This allows you to import data through other sources.
2. 
   2
   Open a query. You can do this by using a previously loaded query in the Editor, or you can click a cell in the data, select Query, then click Edit.
3. 
   3
   Select the column you want to name. It will be highlighted.
4. 
   4
   Double-click the column header. This will allow you to rename it.

   • You can also select Transform, then Rename at the top.
5. 
   5
   Enter the new column name. This will name the header.

   • Keep in mind that renaming a column header won't rename the original data source header. If the original data source header changes, it can cause query errors.
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