Use Excel’s Text To Columns command to separate first and last names

When importing data into a worksheet, it is often necessary to separate the cell contents into two columns. For example, say you’ve imported the list of names shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


For your mailing program, you need to separate the first and last names into two columns. Follow these steps:

1. Select A1:A7.
   
   
2. Go to Data | Text To Columns. In Excel 2007, click the Data tab and then click the Text To Columns command in the Data Tools group.

3. In Step 1 of the Convert Text To Columns Wizard, click Delimited, then Next (Figure B).

4. Select the Space check box and clear the Tab check box in the Delimiters section, then Next (Figure C).

5. Click Text under Column Data Format, then Next (Figure D).

6. Excel 2007 - press Finish.
   
   
7. Click on the second column in the Data Preview window and then click Text under Column Data Format (Excel 2003).
   
   
8. Enter D2 in the Destination text box and click Finish (Excel 2003).

Page last edited: February 03, 2009