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How to extract the first name from a full name in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2) - 1)Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1FIND(" ", A2) returns the position of the first space.
- 2LEFT takes every character before that position.
- 3The result is the first name on its own.
Tips
- For the last name, use =MID(A2, FIND(" ", A2) + 1, 100).
- A name with no space errors — guard it with =IFERROR(LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2) - 1), A2).
Need it for your exact data?
Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
What if some names have no space?
FIND errors when there is no space. Wrap the formula in IFERROR and return the whole cell as a fallback.
More on Text manipulation
See all →How-to
How to split text into columns
Split a full name or any delimited text into separate columns. Google Sheets uses SPLIT; Excel uses TEXTSPLIT — here is each.
How-toHow to remove extra spaces
Clean leading, trailing, and double spaces with TRIM — the usual fix for lookups that fail on values that look identical.
How-toHow to convert text to a number
Turn numbers stored as text into real numbers with VALUE or by multiplying by 1 — the fix for sums that ignore values.
How-toHow to extract the domain from an email address
Pull everything after the @ from an email using FIND and MID. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
How-toHow to add leading zeros
Pad numbers to a fixed width with leading zeros using TEXT, or a custom number format. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
How-toHow to remove specific characters
Strip out a character — like dashes or currency symbols — with SUBSTITUTE. Nest it to remove several. Works in both apps.