How to merge name cells in excel

Answer

To merge name cells in Excel, you can combine first and last names from separate cells into a single cell. There are multiple methods to achieve this, depending on whether you want to keep the original cells intact or not.

Method 1: Using the CONCATENATE Function

1. Select the cell where you want the full name to appear.

2. Enter the formula: 

   =CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1)

• A1 contains the first name.

• B1 contains the last name.

• " " adds a space between the first and last names.

3. Press Enter. The full name will appear in the selected cell.

Example:

• A1 = John

• B1 = Doe

• Result: John Doe

Method 2: Using the Ampersand (&) Operator

1. Select the destination cell.

2. Type the formula: 

   =A1 & " " & B1

• Works similarly to CONCATENATE.

• Often preferred for its simplicity and readability.

3. Press Enter.

Example:

• A1 = Mary

• B1 = Smith

• Result: Mary Smith

Method 3: Using the TEXTJOIN Function (Excel 2016 and later)

1. Select the destination cell.

2. Enter the formula: 

   =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A1, B1)

• " " specifies the delimiter between names.

• TRUE ignores any blank cells.

• Useful when merging multiple cells at once.

Example:

• A1 = Anna

• B1 = Lee

• C1 = Jr.

• Formula: =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A1, B1, C1)

• Result: Anna Lee Jr.

Method 4: Using the Merge & Center Tool (Not Recommended for Text Combining)

1. Select the cells you want to merge.

2. Go to Home → Merge & Center.

3. Click Merge Cells.

Important:

• This only merges the cells visually.

• Only the value in the upper-left cell remains.

• Data in other cells will be lost.

• Recommended only for formatting, not for combining first and last names.

Tips for Merging Names in Excel

1. Use formulas (CONCATENATE, &, TEXTJOIN) when you want to retain original data.

2. Apply TRIM() to remove extra spaces: 

   =TRIM(A1 & " " & B1)

3. Copy the resulting column and Paste as Values to replace formulas with text.

4. Ensure consistent formatting to avoid errors when exporting or sorting names.

You can provide the first and last names in multiple columns, and all methods above will merge them accurately.

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