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How to split first and last name in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Full Name | First Name | Last Name |
| Alice Smith | ||
| Bob Jones | ||
| Carol White | ||
| Dan Brown | ||
| Eve Black |
=LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1)→Alice
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Step by step
- 1Click the cell where you want the first name (e.g. B2) and enter =LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1).
- 2Click the cell for the last name (e.g. C2) and enter =MID(A2,FIND(" ",A2)+1,LEN(A2)).
- 3Copy both formulas down to cover all rows of your data.
- 4If names include a middle name or suffix, consider using TEXTSPLIT (Excel 365 / Sheets) for a more robust split.
Tips
- Wrap both formulas in TRIM to eliminate accidental leading or trailing spaces that can cause FIND to return an error.
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Frequently asked
What if some names have only one word?
Use IFERROR to catch the #VALUE! error: =IFERROR(LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1),A2).
How do I handle "Last, First" format?
Find the comma: Last name = LEFT(A2,FIND(",",A2)-1); First name = TRIM(MID(A2,FIND(",",A2)+1,LEN(A2))).
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