Alternatively, get finer control by combining your name cells using a formula or the Power Query tool.

Do you want to bring the first and last names that are inseparate cells into a single cell?

Combining text is easy in Excel, and we’ll show you five different ways to combine names.

Manually enter the first and last name.

No formula is necessary with Flash Fill.

In this cell, jot down the first and last names together as you’d like them to appear.

Go down a row and start typing the first and last name for your second record.

Press Enter.

To confirm you want these cells filled, press Enter on your keyboard.

If a Flash Fill prompt doesn’t appear, use the Ctrl+E shortcut to force a Flash Fill.

And that’s it.Excel has automatically mergedthe first and last names for all your records.

Merged first and last names.

In the selected cell, bang out the following formula and press Enter.

Here, replaceB2with the cell containing the first name andC2with the cell that has the last name.

In your selected cell, you’ll see the first and last names combined.

Choose a cell.

Using a function instead of an operator can sometimes make your formula easier for others to read and understand.

In the selected cell, enter the following function and press Enter.

Note that we’ve separated the first and the last name with a space in this function.

Combined names.

Once you press Enter, in your selected cell, you’ll see both your names merged.

If you’d like to merge the middle name or initial as well, use the function as follows.

Here,C2denotes the middle name cell, whileD2contains the last name.

Select a cell.

This function also offers the option to ignore empty cells.

To useTEXTJOIN, in your spreadsheet, hit the cell where you want to display the merged names.

Then, pop in the following function in the cell.

Merged name.

Here, replaceB2with the cell that has the first name andC2with the cell containing the last name.

To ignore empty cells, changeFALSEtoTRUE.

you might use this option to merge your columns as well.

Merge names with TEXTJOIN.

To use this method, first, click a cell in your dataset.

Then, from Excel’s ribbon at the top, select Data > From Table/Range.

In the “Create Table” box, ensure the correct dataset range is specified.

Choose Data > From Table/Range.

If your dataset has column headers, switch on the “My Table Has Headers” option.

You now have a spreadsheet complete with readable full names for each entry.

If you’re entering a lot of names and other data, learnthe best Excel functions for data entry.

Verify the data range and select “OK."

Related:How to Combine Data From Spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel

Select “Merge Columns” in the menu.

Customize merging and select “OK."

Select “Close & Load” at the top-left corner.

Merged columns with Power Query.