Combine First and Last Names in Excel

You might find yourself working with first and last names in separate spreadsheet columns. But suppose you want to combine them together. Let’s learn how to combine first and last names in Microsoft Excel.

How to Combine First and Last Names in Excel

Consider two columns of data. Column C contains a list of first names. Column D contains a list of last names. Now, imagine that you want column E to contain both the first and last names. Excel has a quick shortcut for this that helps you avoid having to retype anything. It’s called the CONCAT function.

To get started, click into the first open cell in column E. Here, that’s cell E2. Then, type an = sign. That tells Excel that you’re inputting a formula in the cell you’re working in. Continue by typing CONCAT(. So far, your formula reads:

=CONCAT(

Then, click into the cell containing the first name at the top of your list. Here, that’s cell C2. Then, type a comma.

Most likely, you’ll want a space between the first and last names. To insert a space, type in ” “, careful to leave one empty space between the two quotation marks. Then, click on the cell containing the last name, D2, and then complete your formula with ). Your full CONCAT formula reads:

=CONCAT(C2," ",D2)

Hit Enter on your keyboard, and Excel will combine the first and last names, with a space in the middle.

To combine the rest of your list, hover over the lower right corner of cell E2 until you see a + symbol. Then, click and drag downward, releasing when you reach the bottom. Excel will automatically update your formula, and combine the remaining first and last names together.

As you can see, it’s easy to combine first and last names in Excel, with no need to retype anything.